A sneaker company is suing Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes for copyright infringement, ESPN reported Friday, citing court records.
1587 Sneakers is reportedly claiming in a lawsuit that the name 1587 Prime, the name of the Kelce and Mahomes steakhouse in Kansas City, infringes upon its use of the same number combination and caused harm as a result.
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Kelce and Mahomes opened the restaurant last year with business partner Noble 33. It’s named after the stars’ jersey numbers — Mahomes’ No. 15 and Kelce’s No. 87 — and the sneaker company’s name was inspired by the year 1587, which the company explains marked the first appearance of Asians in the United States, according to its website. It is said that Filipino sailors first arrived in the United States at that time.
“We are America’s first sneaker brand owned, designed and inspired by Asian American culture, empowering Asian Americans to be unapologetically themselves,” the website reads.
The sneaker company, founded by Adam King and Sam Hyun and featured on “Shark Tank,” began selling shoes in April 2023, according to the lawsuit.
That’s when Kelce and Mahomes announced plans to open a steakhouse, the Kansas City Star reported.
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Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney at Gerben IP who does not represent the two companies, told ESPN that the lawsuit boils down to unregistered rights claimed by the sneaker company before it filed a trademark application in 2025.
More specifically, the application was not received until last October. According to ESPN, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is still reviewing it.
However, because the sneaker company was in business before the steakhouse, the lawsuit allegedly claims the sneaker company used “1587” first. However, it is worth noting that according to ESPN, Kelce and Mahomes’ restaurant applied for the “1587 Prime” trademark in December 2023. The company also reported that the “1587 Prime” trademark fell into the bar and restaurant category, while the sneaker company’s “1587” trademark application fell into the apparel category.
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“I think it’s a tough case for sneaker companies,” Gerben told ESPN. “Trademarks can coexist in different industries. … Given that the trademarks here are essentially the same, are a restaurant and a shoe company too close? Is it possible that consumers will be confused and think they are connected to each other?”
The sneaker company claims there was genuine confusion and is asking Kelce and Mahomes’ restaurants to no longer use the name “1587 Prime” and to stop selling apparel merchandise with the name. The steakhouse has a special sale of hats and shirts on its website.
“The company is understandably concerned that choosing a brand name that is nearly identical to its own for such a high-profile project would cast a shadow over itself and cause irreparable damage,” the lawsuit reads, according to the Kansas City Star.
“Indeed. This continues to this day, driving AAPI companies toward the precipice of collapse.”
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King said in a written statement that 1587 Sneakers continues to “expect to resolve this matter amicably,” ESPN reported.
Nonetheless, the sneaker company is reportedly seeking unspecified damages.