Skechers wins patent case against L.L. Bean

American companies Skechers USA Inc. and L.L. Bean have reached a settlement in a patent lawsuit. Under a court order issued on December 26, 2024 by Judge Margaret Garnett of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, L.L. Bean has agreed to cease and desist from manufacturing, importing and selling a line of shoes that allegedly infringe on two shoe designs that Skechers legally has exclusive rights to sell. The patents, specifically for Skechers' unique arch-supporting heel cup designs, are valid until 2038.

The patent case began in July 2024, when Skechers filed a complaint with a US judge against L.L. Bean's "Freeport" shoe line. According to Skechers, L.L. Bean copied two patented Skechers heel cap designs with these shoes, and has since sold millions of pairs of the style for 99 dollars a pair.

Skechers demanded that L.L. Bean stop selling the shoes, a request it has since achieved. Other terms of the settlement, such as unspecified damages, were not disclosed.

L.L. Bean is a privately held outdoor apparel and accessories retailer. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, it operates 54 stores worldwide, with headquarters in Freeport, Maine, where the company was originally founded.

Skechers, founded in 1992, is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, and is one of the largest footwear companies in the world, with over 1,700 stores worldwide. Skechers reported quarterly revenues of 2.35 billion dollars for Q3 2024.

The case is filed as Skechers USA Inc et al v. L.L. Bean Inc in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York under case number 24-05336.

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL. It was translated to English using an AI tool called Genesis and edited by Rachel Douglass..

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