Nike this week sued L.A.-based custom sneaker business The Shoe Surgeon, seeking over $60M in damages for what it’s called an “egregious display of widespread [trademark] infringement that has even crossed into willful counterfeiting of iconic Nike products,” including the counterfeit of more than 30 Nike trademarks. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of N.Y., alleges that The Shoe Surgeon, led by founder and CEO Dominic Ciambrone, has sold counterfeit Nike products through online channels and brick-and-mortar locations in N.Y., L.A. and Las Vegas, as well as offering online classes that demonstrate how to craft counterfeit Nike shoes.
Nike has also accused The Shoe Surgeon of using Nike marks without authorization in brand collaborations with the likes of eBay, Ruffles and the Heat, among others, and of leveraging its past official work with Nike -- including the creation of a custom gold shoe to celebrate LeBron James scoring his 30,000th point -- to “create a false air of credibility.” Nike is being represented in the case by DLA Piper.
