New Balance has sued French sporting goods company Decathlon, alleging that the latter’s running shoes infringed its logo trademark.
In the lawsuit, filed in a Massachusetts federal court, New Balance claimed that the ‘K’ logo used on Decathlon’s Kiprun performance running shoes was similar to its iconic ‘N’ logo.
The company said it had used the mark on its footwear since the 1970s, arguing that consumers may perceive the mirror-image version of Decathlon’s ‘K’ as an ‘N’.
Decathlon sells its Kiprun shoes to US customers online and through third-party brick-and-mortar retailers.
New Balance identified eight Kiprun shoe models in its complaint and is seeking a recall of all shoes with the design, along with an unspecified amount of monetary damages.
The brand previously settled similar lawsuits over its ‘N’ logo with Nautica in 2020 and Michael Kors in 2022.
In 2017, it also won a $1.5 million ruling against Chinese shoemakers there over the mark.
- Further reading: 7-Eleven sues Nike over Air Max 95 design.
