ASICS Challenges Skechers Over 'SKECH GEL' in Expanding U.S. Sportswear Market
Sep/08/2025
On September 5, ASICS filed a U.S. trademark opposition against Skechers’ application for 'SKECH GEL' footwear, arguing it closely mimics its established GEL series marks, including GEL-PULSE and GEL-LYTE. The dispute highlights how branding battles intensify within America’s $4.8 billion-a-month sporting goods sector, where athletic footwear dominates sales. Nike remains the undisputed market leader, generating nearly $50 billion in 2024—double Adidas’s total—while retailers like Dick’s and Hibbett Sports drive billions more through footwear sales. With the U.S. sneaker market projected to approach $31 billion by 2030, brand protection has become central to securing growth. ASICS’s challenge illustrates how even established players must defend trademark equity in an industry where logos and product lines are as critical to competition as performance technology.
