Adidas, identified for footwear with three parallel stripes, was sued on Wednesday by Steven Madden over its alleged effort to cease the American shoe firm from promoting trend sneakers with two non-parallel bands.
In a grievance filed in federal courtroom in Brooklyn, New York, Steve Madden, as the corporate is commonly identified, mentioned it has grown “drained” of Adidas’ many years of complaints about footwear whose designs bear no resemblance to its three-stripe design.
These allegedly embrace objections to 2 Steve Madden sneakers launched this 12 months: Viento, which has two bands, and Janos, whose two bands resemble the letter Ok.
Steve Madden mentioned Adidas’ legal professionals have demanded that Viento gross sales be halted as a result of the design would probably confuse shoppers, and signalled to the US Patent and Trademark Workplace it could formally problem the Janos design.
“The usage of band designs on footwear is ubiquitous within the trend business,” Steve Madden mentioned. “Merely put, Adidas doesn’t personal all stripes and shouldn’t be allowed to assert that it has a monopoly on all footwear that features stripes, bars, bands or any form having 4 sides—parallel, straight or not.”
Adidas didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark outdoors enterprise hours.
Like some shoe firms together with Nike, Adidas generally turns to US courts and businesses to cease rivals from promoting merchandise it considers knockoffs.
Steve Madden, based mostly in Lengthy Island Metropolis, New York, mentioned Adidas sued it twice in 2002 to problem footwear with two parallel stripes and 4 parallel stripes, resulting in a confidential settlement the subsequent 12 months.
The most recent dispute doesn’t come up from that accord.
Wednesday’s lawsuit seeks a judgment that the Viento and Janos designs don’t infringe Adidas’ logos or three-stripe design, permitting Steve Madden to proceed gross sales.
The case is Steven Madden Ltd v Adidas AG et al, US District Courtroom, Jap District of New York, No. 25-02847.
By Jonathan Stempel; Editor: Leslie Adler
Be taught extra:
Change Is Coming to the Sneaker Retail Panorama
Dick’s Sporting Items’ acquisition of Foot Locker could have impacts on the remainder of the business, from manufacturers reminiscent of Nike and Adidas to rival retailers like JD Sports activities.