Nike has been collaborating with Dominic Ciambrone, AKA the Shoe Surgeon, since 2018 for hundreds of elite projects…
So why did the company decide to sever that relationship with legal action?
Less than two weeks after one of their collaborations…
Nike filed a lawsuit against Ciambrone for alleged trademark infringement.
So why is Nike being so cold to one of their devotees?
Nike’s Lawsuit Against The Shoe Surgeon
Nike and Ciambrone began working together when the Shoe Surgeon was commissioned to create an exclusive pair of sneakers for LeBron James.
THE SNEAKERS WERE EMBELLISHED WITH REAL GOLD AND 24-KARAT DIAMONDS TO CELEBRATE JAMES’S 30,000 NBA POINT.
Since then, Nike had Ciambrone make exclusive sneakers for different events and celebrities. In 2022, the company offered the Shoe Surgeon a position to make exclusive designs for the sneaker giant…
However, that deal would allow Nike to commercialize the designs…
And limit Ciambrone’s collaboration with Nike competitors.
In 2023 the talks reportedly fell through.
The collaboration between the two parties continued…
UNTIL THE COMPANY SERVED CIAMBRONE PAPERS.
In the lawsuit, Nike alleges that the shoe surgeon had been leading a trademark infringement operation. The company states they had sent multiple cease and desist letters to the designer and he complied…
But only temporarily.
Regarding the Nike Lawsuit, Ciambrone’s lawyers have not issued a response, but the Shoe Surgeon stated that…
“…We are confident with proper dialogue and collaboration we can resolve this with the new management team and turn it into a win for the culture,”
Nike is firm regarding the lawsuit, but it might not be about Ciambrone’s designs at all…
Rather, this move reflects a part of a broader strategy shift that targets independent sneaker designers.
The Fight Against Customization
Dominic Ciambrone is not alone in facing this Nike lawsuit…
In fact, for years the company has been targeting independent sneaker designers for trademark infringement…
Since 2021, when the company first obtained trade dress registration for some of their sneaker models…
DOZENS OF SNEAKER ENTREPRENEURS HAVE BEEN SERVED LAWSUITS COURTESY OF NIKE.
Yet, it seems that the company isn’t just doing this to protect their designs…
It might be to eliminate the competition…
This year has been a rough one for the company, with Nike having received its worst earnings results in 20 years.
Since the brand’s popularity has slipped…
OTHER RUNNING SHOE COMPANIES LIKE HOKA AND NEW BALANCE HAVE BEEN RACING TO SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
While more and more designers like Ciambrone might be receiving lawsuits from Nike, one thing is certain…
It seems like this shoe company is too focused on getting rid of the little guy…
When they should be refocusing on picking up their main business again.
Be Great,
GCTV Staff
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