Skechers Croc'd?

It's got holes in it -- but is it a Croc? The answer's "no". After indulging in some carefully-phrased hostilities, Crocs Inc and Skechers USA Inc have announced the settlement of all litigation between them in a patent infringement suit brought by Crocs. The terms of the settlement agreement apply to all outstanding litigation in respect of Croc's shoe technology anywhere in the world and appear to result in Skechers concentrating on its core styles in place of more Croc-like footwear.

Fashionista says: when it comes to footwear, IP-savvy people thinks of trade mark rights, designs and copyright and (apart from fame, fortune and glamour) not much besides -- but for anyone who takes a nerdish delight in these things, a search through granted patents reveals that there's a huge chunk of patented technology attached to the ergonomic shape of shoes, the functionality of their soles and the industrial processes for making them.