The quintessential punk rock sneaker, Converse, is looking to take back its signature style. Nike, owners of Converse as of 2003, is suing 31 brands including Skechers, Ralph Lauren, Wal-Mart, Ed Hardy, FILA, and K-Mart over copyright infringement of their Chuck Taylor style, materials, and diamond sole patterns.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, October 14, 2014, including 180 cease and desist letters.
According to our research, Converse is hugely popular among youth culture, particularly in the USA and China, and among teen females especially. Nike purchased Converse in 2003 in an effort to recapture more of the youth marketshare. In August, Converse sales were up 16% to $575 million.
So far there has been very little comment on the lawsuit, but we’ll be tracking this story in the future.
