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You’ve built something real. You’ve got a name, a story, and customers who connect with what you’ve created. But if you haven’t trademarked your brand yet, this headline should stop you cold.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce — two of the most recognizable athletes in America — are being sued for trademark infringement over a four-digit number. And the brand doing the suing? A small sneaker company with a powerful origin story and a painful lesson about waiting too long to file.
This isn’t just celebrity drama. It’s a real-world example of exactly what happens when businesses skip the trademark basics. Here’s what went down, why it matters, and what you can do right now to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
Two Brands, One Number, Two Very Different Stories
The number 1587 carries deep meaning for both sides of this dispute.
1587 Sneakers, Inc. was co-founded by Adam King and Sam Hyun to honor the year Filipino sailors first arrived in what is now the United States, the earliest recorded presence of Asians in America. The brand launched in April 2023, landed on Season 16 of ABC’s Shark Tank in 2024, and built a loyal following rooted in AAPI heritage and cultural identity.
For Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the math is simpler: jersey #15 plus jersey #87 equals 1587. They partnered with restaurant group Noble 33 to open 1587 Prime, a nearly 10,000-square-foot upscale steakhouse inside the Loews Kansas City Hotel. It opened on September 17, 2025, Mahomes’ 30th birthday, featuring wagyu beef, private dining rooms, and one of Missouri’s largest wine collections.
Two completely unrelated businesses. Two entirely different industries. One identical number. So how did this end up in federal court?
The Trademark Timeline is Everything
Here’s where things get really instructive for entrepreneurs, because the timeline of who did what and when is the entire story.
1587 Sneakers started selling products in commerce in April 2023. That established what trademark attorneys call “first use,” and under federal law, the first business to actually use a mark in commerce can claim common law trademark rights even without a formal registration.
But here’s the costly mistake: 1587 Sneakers didn’t file a federal trademark application until October 2025, more than two and a half years after first use.
In that same window, Mahomes, Kelce, and Noble 33 filed their trademark application for “1587 Prime” in the restaurant category in December 2023, just eight months after the sneaker company started selling. The USPTO registered “1587 Prime Steakhouse” in early February 2026, right before the lawsuit was filed. 1587 Sneakers’ application remains under review.
That gap is the whole story. Two and a half years of building a brand without federal trademark protection is exactly the kind of vulnerability that puts businesses in impossible positions. Without trademarks, you have ZERO rights to your brand at a federal level. Common law rights exist, but they’re limited, harder to enforce, and no match for a registered trademark.
Why This Case Isn’t As Simple As It Looks
You might be thinking: a sneaker company and a steakhouse are completely different. And you’d normally be right. Trademark law allows identical marks to coexist in unrelated industries all the time. Delta Airlines and Delta Faucets. Dove soap and Dove chocolate.
But 1587 Sneakers argues the overlap is bigger than it appears. The lawsuit alleges that 1587 Prime sells branded merchandise, including caps and shirts, some bearing only “1587” without the word “Prime.” That puts the restaurant squarely in apparel territory, directly competing with the sneaker brand’s clothing line. The complaint also notes that the steakhouse serves “Asian-inspired and influenced dishes,” which the plaintiff claims deepens consumer confusion given the brand’s AAPI identity.
Co-founder Adam King stated publicly that the restaurant’s launch caused “significant harm” to his business, pushing it “toward the cliff of collapse.” He says scores of consumers have reached out, believing the two companies are affiliated.
The central legal question is whether consumers are actually likely to confuse a shoe company with a steakhouse. That’s a hard case to make, and the dispute is likely to end in a settlement or coexistence agreement. But either way, the cost in time, money, and stress for a small brand is enormous.
Three Trademark Lessons Every Entrepreneur Needs to Hear
Whether you’re building a sneaker brand or a restaurant concept, this case highlights principles we talk about with clients every single day.
File your trademark application as early as possible. Common law rights from “first use” are real, but they’re geographically limited and far harder to enforce than a federal registration. A registered trademark gives you nationwide priority, a legal presumption of ownership, and the right to use the ® symbol. 1587 Sneakers built a business for over two years without federal protection, and in that window, a much larger, better-funded competitor filed first. Don’t leave that door open.
Think beyond your current product category. Trademarks are registered in specific classes of goods and services. If you sell one thing today but plan to expand into merchandise, apparel, digital products, or services, you should consider filing in those additional classes from the start. The merchandise overlap in this case caught the sneaker company completely off guard. A thorough trademark strategy accounts for where your brand is going, not just where it is right now.
Act fast when you discover a conflict. 1587 Sneakers reportedly sent a cease-and-desist letter before filing suit, which is the right first move. But the longer you wait to assert your rights, the harder enforcement becomes. If you spot a potential infringer, document it and get with a trademark attorney quickly. Time is never on your side in these situations.
The Bottom Line
The Mahomes-Kelce lawsuit is a vivid reminder that trademark protection isn’t just for big companies with deep pockets. It matters most for small businesses and entrepreneurs who can’t afford to litigate against well-funded opponents.
The strongest position you can be in is one where your trademark is registered, your rights are documented, and your brand is protected before anyone else enters the picture. We’ve helped over 1,500 businesses get to exactly that place, with a 99.7% success rate along the way.
If you’re building a brand worth protecting, don’t wait two and a half years to protect it. Book your free brand protection consultation today, and let’s make sure your brand is legally yours.
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