US footwear firm Skechers said it has secured a worldwide patent for its Shape-ups footwear line, protecting their ‘Kinetic Wedge midsole technology’, as it takes strides to defend the shoes’ advertising.
It follows an independent review board decision in New Zealand that “the claims in the [Shape-ups] advertisement regarding muscle tone, posture and weight loss had been substantiated by [Skechers] . . . .”, the company said in a statement.
Earlier this year an independent review board in Australia also said that Skechers provided a substantial amount of evidence in support of Shape-ups fitness claims and ruled that Skechers’ competitors failed to provide any evidence to challenge Skechers’ claims, it added.
However, in August Skechers dismissed two recently filed class action suits against its Shape-up products in the US, describing them as “baseless”.he suits alleged that the advertising for Shape-ups rocker bottom shoes infringes Californian law, but Skechers said it would mount a “vigorous” defence.
“We are proud to announce the most recent addition to our Shape-ups patents,” said Leonard Armato, president of Skechers Fitness Division. “We have invested tremendous resources into developing this revolutionary footwear, and we go to great lengths to protect our retail partners and consumers from imitations and knockoffs. We are very aggressive in enforcing our patents throughout the world and routinely stop companies from infringing our rights.”
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