The bad blood between adidas and Skechers continues, as today adidas files yet another lawsuit claiming blatant patent infringement surrounding the Springblade – an adidas running shoe created in 2013.
This, the latest lawsuit, was filed earlier this morning in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, claiming Skechers infringed upon adidas’ intellectual property.
Adidas is claiming that Skechers copied the Springblade for their Mega Flex 2.0 shoe. The foundational design by adidas three years ago featured industry first turned blades, which helped propel runners forward with each movement. The shoe would later go on to find sartorial fame with designer collaborations alongside the likes of Rick Owens.
The Skechers Mega Flex 2.0 is, by in large, the exact same design. That much is clear from one look at the shoe. Adidas is rightfully fighting to the maintain the integrity of their design and impactful innovations. They had this to say in a statement earlier today:
“Today, adidas filed another lawsuit against Skechers. We will not stand by and allow others to blatantly copy our products and infringe on our valuable intellectual property. These shameless imitations tarnish the reputation of our brand and our people who work tirelessly to research and develop technical innovations and designs that help athletes make a difference.
We are the leader in footwear innovation, design and engineering, creating high performance shoes for athletes. We are a company of creators and makers who lead the industry to new standards, continually bringing the best in high-quality products to consumers.
This pattern of unlawful behavior and freeloading in the industry is outrageous and must end. We will take every legal measure possible to protect and defend our innovations.”
If you remember, several years ago, adidas sued Skechers for allegedly ripping off the Stan Smith. They were soon after awarded a preliminary injection which halted all sales of the infringed Skechers shoe.
Stay tuned for more on the latest lawsuit as this situation develops.
