A sneaker company or a restaurant? That is the question.
Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are in some proverbial hot water after a sneaker company sued them and their restaurant partners for trademark infringement.
The legal complaint reportedly alleges that the Chiefs players’ restaurant, 1587 Prime, infringes on the name of the sneaker company, 1587 Sneakers, according to a Friday, February 20, report by ESPN.
Mahomes and Kelce, along with business partner Noble 33, opened the steakhouse last year, using their respective jersey numbers as inspiration for the restaurant’s moniker. (Mahomes wears No. 15 and Kelce wears No. 87).
According to the ESPN report, 1587 Sneakers started selling its shoes in April 2023, well before Mahomes and Kelce opened their restaurant. But the sneaker business did not apply for the “1587” trademark until October 2025, and the application is reportedly still under review by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Mahomes and Kelce applied for their trademark in December 2023.
Notably, the sneaker company’s trademark application is in the clothing category, while the restaurant trademark falls under the bar and restaurant category.
“I think it’s a tough case for the sneaker company,” trademark attorney Josh Gerben told ESPN of the case (Gerben does not represent either party in this case). “Trademarks can coexist in different industries. … Given that the marks are essentially identical here, is a restaurant and a shoe company too close? Are consumers likely to be confused in thinking they are affiliated with one another?”
The sneaker company is also claiming apparel infringement because the restaurant sells clothing as well as food. They allege that “scores of customers” have reached out to 1587 Sneakers believing that the company is connected with the 1587 Prime restaurant.
“From the onset, we have communicated a sincere belief that there is room for mutual respect and understanding,” 1587 Sneakers co-founder Adam King said in a written statement to ESPN. “That belief has not changed, and we continue to hope to resolve this matter amicably.”
1587 Sneakers appeared on the TV show “Shark Tank” in 2024, where start-up companies pitch their ideas to potential investors in an attempt to gain funding and notoriety. The sneaker brand did not receive any investments from the show.
Mahomes and Kelce are in the midst of their offseason recovery after a relatively disappointing season for the Chiefs, finishing with a 6-11 record and missing out on the postseason for the first time since the 2014 season.
Both players have had a vastly different offseason so far, with Mahomes focusing on recovering from his ACL tear, which he suffered on December 14, and Kelce dealing with the swirling rumors of his potential retirement.
“Every season ends for me, I just put my feet up and I be a human, because I’ve been putting my body through the wringer for the love of it,” Kelce said on the January 7 episode of his “New Heights” podcast with brother Jason Kelce. “I do enjoy playing football and the physical aspect of it, I think there’s something about feeling the wear and tear of the football season, just getting ready for a game knowing your body’s f***ing beat down. I think there’s something to it, it makes you just feel like a mangy animal that’s out here just finding a way to survive.”
Read the full article here
