Nike Pushes Back Against Skechers in Trademark Clash While Branding Lessons Diverge
Aug/20/2025
On August 19, Nike filed an opposition to Skechers’ trademark application, arguing that the footwear design too closely mirrors patterns protected under its own registration from March 2022. The dispute highlights Nike’s aggressive defense of its intellectual property, a strategy consistent with its status as a consumer brand built on identity and inspiration. Yet, as marketers often observe, the very approach that makes Nike’s "Just do it" powerful for mass-market buyers can backfire in business-to-business contexts. Unlike consumer goods, B2B offerings are inherently intangible; lofty slogans and aspirational missions often obscure rather than clarify. For companies selling services such as regulatory consulting or logistics optimization, success hinges on concrete messaging that directly addresses a buyer’s pain points. Nike may thrive on symbolism, but most B2B firms win by cutting through abstraction with clarity. The following visualization compares both trademarks depicting footwear design, illustrating the contested similarities that form the basis of Nike’s opposition.
