New Balance sues Decathlon over alleged copycat shoe design

September 16, 2026

New Balance has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against French sporting goods retailer Decathlon, alleging that a logo used on its Kiprun performance running shoes is confusingly similar to New Balance’s iconic “N” mark.

The lawsuit, filed Sept. 15 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleges that Decathlon’s Kiprun logo infringes New Balance’s trademark rights. New Balance says it has used its N marks on footwear since the 1970s and argues that consumers may perceive the mirror-image version of Decathlon’s design as an N. New Balance 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. CANADIAN Running Magazine