New Balance has sued French sporting goods company Decathlon in Massachusetts federal court for allegedly violating the sneaker maker’s trademark rights in its “N” logo.
- New Balance said in the complaint, filed on Tuesday, that the backwards “K” on Decathlon’s Kiprun running shoes resembles its famous “N” and will confuse consumers.
- Spokespeople for the companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit on Wednesday.
- The lawsuit said that Boston-based New Balance has used its “N” logo on footwear since the 1970s.
- France-based Decathlon sells its Kiprun shoes to U.S. customers online and through third-party brick-and-mortar retailers, according to the complaint.
- Decathlon’s shoes feature a mirrored “K” logo that New Balance said in the complaint is “unmistakably an N.”
- The lawsuit cited social media posts noting the logo’s resemblance to New Balance’s “N” and said Decathlon’s design would confuse potential customers.
- New Balance asked the court for an order blocking the alleged infringement and an unspecified amount of monetary damages.
- New Balance previously filed and settled similar U.S. lawsuits over its “N” logo with Michael Kors and Nautica, and won a rare $1.5 million ruling in a Chinese court against shoemakers there over the logo in 2017.
The case is New Balance Athletics Inc v. Decathlon America LLC, U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, No. 1:26-cv-14235.
