© Copyright – 2026 – Athletics Illustrated
As is often repeated, especially in the USA, “You know you’ve made it when people try to sue you.” In this case, it is one shoe company going after another for intellectual property concerns. New Balance versus Decathlon and its house brand Kiprun.
New Balance filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Decathlon, a French sporting goods retailer. New Balance alleges that a logo used on its Kiprun performance running shoes is confusingly similar to New Balance’s iconic “N” emblem or logo mark.
The lawsuit, filed on September 15 in District Court for Massachusetts, alleges that Decathlon’s Kiprun logo infringes New Balance’s trademark rights.
New Balance claims it has used its N marks on footwear since the 1970s and argues that consumers may perceive the version of Decathlon’s design as an N. The privately owned New Balance brand is seeking a recall of all shoes with the design, destruction of products bearing the mark, and monetary damages to be determined at trial by jury. The company New Balance is privately owned by Jim Davis and his family.
The dispute is about the logo used by Kiprun, not the shoe design itself.
New Balance claims that it first contacted Decathlon about the design in January 2026. The company further claims that there was follow-up and additional communications asking the company to stop using the similar design of the K resembling the NB.
Decathlon denies the claim, arguing that the design is clearly a “K.” New Balance says the design’s mirror image resembles its “N” and could confuse consumers.
Arguing over logo design has its place, however, athletes searching for a super shoe will understand the brand difference between Kiprun and New Balance.
“I was sad because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. So I said, “Got any shoes you’re not using?”
― Steven Wright
