Rothy's Obtains Federal Court Consent Judgment and Permanent Injunction in Lawsuit Against MIA Shoes and Retailers DSW, Stitch Fix and Famous Footwear, Validating Rothy's Design Patents and Trade Dress Rights

Delaware federal court adopts findings that ten of Rothy's design patents and the trade dress rights of The Point and The Flat are valid and infringed, and permanently enjoins the defendants from selling the accused knit flats

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rothy’s, Inc., the design-led footwear brand renowned for its signature knit styles, timeless silhouettes and exceptional comfort, today announced that the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware has entered a Final Judgment and Consent Permanent Injunction in the company's design patent and trade dress lawsuit against MIA Shoes, Inc. and three of its retailers — Designer Brands Inc. d/b/a DSW, Stitch Fix, Inc., and BG Retail, LLC d/b/a Famous Footwear. The judgment permanently bars the defendants from making, selling, advertising or importing the accused knit flats.

The Consent Judgment, entered on August 21, 2026 by the Honorable Gregory B. Williams, adopts stipulated findings of fact and conclusions of law that Rothy's asserted design patents are valid, that Rothy's asserted trade dresses are valid, and that the accused MIA products infringe them. Rothy's filed the action on July 24, 2024, asserting ten U.S. design patents — D905,947; D872,987; D866,943; D844,313; D995,090; D950,226; D836,314; D805,276; D905,946; and D995,091 — together with its trade dress rights in The Point and The Flat shoes.

Under the Consent Judgment, the Court found infringement as follows:

• The MIA Kerri shoe (sold by Stitch Fix as the "Izzy") infringes the ’313, ’943, ’987 and ’947 Design Patents, and Rothy’s The Point Trade Dress;
• The MIA Lissy shoe (sold by Stitch Fix as the "Kaelynn") infringes the ’943 Design Patent, and Rothy’s The Point Trade Dress;
• The MIA Aubrie shoe infringes the ’090, ’226, ’314 and ’276 Design Patents, and Rothy’s The Flat Trade Dress; and
• The MIA Emme Ballet Flat shoe infringes the ’946 and ’091 Design Patents.

The Court also ordered MIA, DSW, Stitch Fix and Famous Footwear to immediately cease making, using, advertising, promoting, offering for sale, selling or importing into the United States, the MIA Kerri, MIA Lissy, MIA Aubrie, and MIA Emme Ballet Flat shoes.

“Rothy’s distinctive designs reflect years of creativity, innovation and investment by our design and production teams. We protect that work through a robust intellectual property portfolio that includes more than 700 design patents granted or pending, as well as valuable trade dress rights,” said Marie Satterfield, Chief Legal Officer at Rothy’s. “This court order underscores the strength of our intellectual property portfolio and sends a clear message that original design must be respected. We will continue to vigorously protect and enforce Rothy’s intellectual property rights.”

The parties have reached an amicable resolution of the dispute. The terms of that resolution are confidential.

The action is captioned Rothy's, Inc. v. MIA Shoes, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 1:24-cv-00859-GBW (D. Del.). Rothy's is represented by Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Vinson & Elkins LLP, and Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP.

The judgment follows Rothy's prior successful intellectual property enforcement actions, including against Birdies, Inc. in the Northern District of California (2022), Giesswein in the United Kingdom (2021), and OESH Shoes in Virginia (2019).

About Rothy's

Rothy's is a San Francisco-based footwear and accessories brand built on the belief that considered design, exceptional comfort and responsible innovation belong together. Since debuting in 2016 with its signature knit ballet flats, Rothy's has grown from a digital-first pioneer into an omnichannel brand with a devoted global following. Its expanding collection spans women’s, men’s and kids’ footwear, as well as bags and accessories. Each piece combines modern design, innovative materials, and thoughtful manufacturing to create products made for real life and designed to last. Today, customers can discover Rothy’s at rothys.com, across 40 retail locations in the U.S. and through a growing network of wholesale partners around the world, including Nordstrom, Le Bon Marché and Liberty London. Learn more at rothys.com.