Kanye West and Yeezy are suing Walmart for allegedly selling shoes that look like its popular Yeezy Foam Runners.
The footwear that was sold on Walmart.com cost between $21.99 to $33.99, a fraction of the Yeezy $80 price tag, according to reports.
The suit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court Thursday. It claims that by selling an “unauthorized exact copy” of the “sustainable” algae-based slip-on, Walmart effectively deprived West and Yeezy of “market share they otherwise would have had,” according to Sourcing Journal.
In response, Walmart asserted that this is not Walmart-designed footwear.
“The product referenced in the complaint is not sold by Walmart, but rather by third party Marketplace sellers. We take allegations like this seriously and are reviewing the claim. We will respond in court as appropriate after we have been served with the complaint,” Walmart said in a statement sent to FN.
The Yeezy Foam Runner‘s futuristic foam design was first released in 2019 and has quickly become a distinguished shoe of the streetwear label.
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This isn’t the first time Kanye’s Yeezy label and Walmart have had a legal spat. Walmart Apollo LLC filed a notice of opposition with the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board last spring, arguing that a sunburst-star trademark recently sought after by rapper-designer’s brand is too similar to its own spark-like logo that has been associated with Walmart since 2007.
Walmart also argued that Yeezy’s logo design could “materially alter a consumer’s decision,” leading shoppers to purchase Yeezy’s goods and services “due to a mistaken thought of connection” to Walmart.
