1587 Sneakers Pushes Back on Kelce, Mahomes’ Bid to Escape Steakhouse Lawsuit
Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are getting pushback from the company suing them over their Kansas City steakhouse, 1587 Prime, after the Chiefs stars argued in court they don’t actually control the business.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, 1587 Sneakers filed a response rejecting Kelce and Mahomes’ claim that they hold no direct interest in the LLC behind the restaurant and aren’t authorized to control it. The sneaker company isn’t buying it. In the filing, 1587 Sneakers argues the two players are trying to recast themselves as “two distant celebrities that are mere promotional ‘pretty faces'” of the business.
The restaurant’s own website doesn’t help their case much. It describes 1587 Prime as “a collaboration between NFL icons Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, in partnership with Noble 33.” Both players also ran a full press tour promoting the steakhouse before it opened in September 2025, appearing at menu tastings and the soft opening — the kind of hands-on involvement that cuts against a “distant celebrity” defense.
How the Lawsuit Started
The case traces back to a straightforward numbers collision. Mahomes wears No. 15, Kelce wears No. 87. Put them together and you get 1587 — which is also the name of a Shark Tank-featured sneaker and apparel brand that says its number honors the first documented arrival of Asians in what’s now the United States.
1587 Sneakers sued Kelce, Mahomes, Noble 33 and several 1587 Prime entities on Feb. 17 in the Southern District of New York, according to ESPN. The shoe company says it started selling product on April 13, 2023 — establishing what’s known in trademark law as “first use in commerce.” Kelce and Mahomes’ side filed their own trademark application for “1587 Prime” that December, in the restaurant and bar category, months after the sneaker brand hit the market. 1587 Sneakers didn’t file its own trademark application until October 2025, and it’s still under review.
That timing gap is the whole legal fight in miniature. Two companies, two completely different industries, the same four digits — and a real question of who had the stronger claim first.
| Detail | 1587 Prime | 1587 Sneakers |
|---|---|---|
| First use in commerce | Opened Sept. 17, 2025 | April 13, 2023 |
| Trademark application filed | December 2023 | October 2025 (pending) |
| Trademark category | Bars & restaurants | Clothing |
The Fight Over Where This Gets Decided
The current battle isn’t about who owns “1587” — it’s about geography. Kelce and Mahomes’ attorneys filed a motion to dismiss around July 2-3, arguing the case has no business in a New York courtroom since neither player lives there, the restaurant sits in Kansas City, and the dispute is fundamentally a Missouri business matter, according to Yahoo Sports, citing The U.S. Sun. Notably, that filing landed in the same window as Kelce’s wedding to Taylor Swift.
1587 Sneakers disagrees, pointing to the players’ national advertising and promotional reach as enough to justify New York jurisdiction. As of this writing, the judge has not ruled on the motion to dismiss.
This isn’t the first setback for 1587 Sneakers in the case. Back in March, a federal judge denied the company’s request for an emergency temporary restraining order that would have blocked 1587 Prime from using the name while the case played out, finding the company waited too long after the restaurant’s opening to seek that kind of urgent relief. That ruling didn’t end the case — it just meant the steakhouse could keep operating under its current name in the meantime.
Why the Ownership Argument Matters
Whether Kelce and Mahomes count as controlling members of the LLC isn’t just a technicality — it could shape who’s actually on the hook if 1587 Sneakers eventually wins damages or a rebrand order. Distancing themselves from day-to-day control is a standard defensive move in trademark suits naming celebrity endorsers, since courts often look at the degree of operational control when deciding who’s liable, not just whose name is on the marketing.
That’s part of what makes 1587 Sneakers’ pushback notable. If the sneaker company can show Kelce and Mahomes had real influence over branding decisions — not just a licensing deal — it strengthens the case that they belong in this lawsuit at all, regardless of where it’s heard.
For now, both sides are still waiting on the judge. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have bigger on-field concerns: Mahomes is working back from a torn ACL suffered in December, and Kansas City is looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs following a 6-11 season.
