Casting aside all legal reason, a counterfeit sneakermaker took sneaker giant Nike’s slogan to heart when it allegedly created and sold its own shoes with the trademark swoosh: just do it.
For that, “The Shoe Surgeon” is facing a lawsuit filed Monday by Nike, claiming the designer attempted “to build an entire multifaceted retail empire” using Nike’s trademark rights by creating and selling counterfeit Nike shoes, and selling classes that teach consumers how to make their own fake Nike shoes, according to industry site The Footwear News.
Nike also took issue with The Shoe Surgeon’s common practice of creating “unauthorized collaborations” between Nike shoes and other brands that are not affiliated with or endorsed by Nike, according to the report.
However, Nike admitted in its filing that it has worked with The Shoe Surgeon on a few commission projects unrelated to the shoes he copied.
The Shoe Surgeon has not responded to inquiries on the lawsuit, according to the news site.
