When it comes to athletic sneakers, many are so similar in design that they can be hard to tell apart.
So details make a difference — and those in the shoe business the longest are apt to notice if another company's design looks suspiciously familiar.
Related: Nike is facing a problem with one of its most beloved products
Nike NKE says it recently had this experience, leading the legacy shoemaker to file federal lawsuits on Nov. 6 against New Balance and Skechers SKX.
Nike filed the suits against New Balance in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and against Skechers in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The suits claim that Skechers and New Balance are misusing Nike's Flyknit technology, which are used in the uppers of its sneakers and took more than a decade to develop.
The shoes in question include New Balance's Fresh Foam, FuelCell, and other lines, as well as Skechers' Ultra Step and Glide Step brands.
Nike is seeking unspecified money damages, as well as court orders to block New Balance and Skechers from infringing on the patents.
New Balance replied to the lawsuit's claims with a statement that it "fully respects competitors' intellectual property rights, but Nike does not own the exclusive right to design and produce footwear by traditional manufacturing methods that have been used in the industry for decades."
TheStreet has reached out to Skechers for comment.
Related: Nike has an unusual new way to sell Air Jordans
Nike has also sued Adidas ADDYY and Lululemon LULU with claims that the two companies infringed on Flyknit.
The claim against Adidas, which originally filed a countersuit, was settled in August 2022. when the two companies filed to jointly dismiss the case.
The Lululemon lawsuit, which was filed in February 2023, has yet to be resolved.
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