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<\/a>As the legendary Nike turned Air Jordan visionary (and Trafford, PA native!) Sonny Vaccaro once said, \u201cA shoe is just a shoe until somebody steps into it\u201d.[1]<\/sup><\/a> However, this adage is not always true when you\u2019re a sneakerhead, which I\u2019ve both been privileged and cursed to have been since the age of five. According to Forbes, a sneakerhead is a person who collects, trades, and\/or admires sneakers as a form of hobby\u201d.[2]<\/sup><\/a>This hobby, albeit expensive, is mostly a harmless endeavor, though every so often there is a reseller who seeks to take advantage of the buyer.[3]<\/sup><\/a> Like most consumer goods, sneakers are a huge business internationally and nationwide, with brands such as Nike amassing close to 15 million dollars worth of footwear revenue in North America alone.[4]<\/sup><\/a> The dichotomy between hobby and business and profit margin and passion is one especially distinct in the sneaker world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Renowned sneaker customizer Dominic Ciambrone, better known as \u201cThe Shoe Surgeon[5]<\/sup><\/a>,\u201d was recently sued by Nike for an astonishing $60 million.[6]<\/sup><\/a> The Shoe Surgeon had previously been sued by French luxury goods brand Goyard, which was seeking compensatory damages, and now Nike is doing the same: filing a trademark infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of New York.[7]<\/sup><\/a> In this suit, Nike explicitly states that this case is not concerning his original customizations but rather the Surgeon\u2019s attempts to build a sneaker customizing business through the use of Nike trademark rights.[8]<\/sup><\/a> Nike states that the Surgeon is building an \u2018Illicit Nike Empire,\u2019 focusing on a portion of his business where he teaches customers how to create their own sneaker silhouettes.[9]<\/sup><\/a> Nike mentions that they have tried to resolve these intellectual property violations outside of litigation context to no avail.[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nike is seeking legal action to stop the Sneaker Surgeon and fellow customizers from selling what they deem counterfeit shoes and instructions on how to create Nike-like sneakers.[11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0In response, the Sneaker Surgeon said \u201cIt\u2019s a dream to collaborate with legendary brands. Especially with the brand who tells us to believe in something, who tells us it\u2019s only crazy until we do it \u2026 we are confused that Nike has chosen litigation over a discussion\u201d.[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nike has previously worked directly with The Shoe Surgeon, creating custom sneakers for Nike athletes like Lebron James.[13]<\/sup><\/a> Nike made clear that it doesn\u2019t have problems with these \u2018official\u2019 collaborations, but it\u2019s hoping to crack down on more of the unofficial designs and IP in his work.[14]<\/sup><\/a> This is not the first time that Nike has gone after some independent sneaker designers or customizers for their designs. Nike previously went after Warren Lotus,[15]<\/sup><\/a> Bape,[16]<\/sup><\/a> and even Pittsburgh-based designer John Geiger.[17]<\/sup><\/a> Although it is expected that Nike and The Shoe Surgeon will reach a settlement and The Shoe Surgeon will adjust certain portions of his business, the next legal steps will certainly set a copyright precedent for sneakerheads in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n [1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Quote from the movie\u00a0Air<\/em>,\u00a0https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt16419074\/characters\/nm0000354<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/mattpowell\/2014\/05\/21\/sneakernomics-are-sneakerheads-important\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/reshoevn8r.com\/blogs\/news\/the-evolution-of-sneaker-reselling-from-underground-hustle-to-billion-dollar-industry?srsltid=AfmBOop3K3eBrZVYSuvP_zGPizwJJgZjpqgh-juOl3jll-6kW0GPeAcC<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [4]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/227152\/nikes-footwear-sectors-net-revenue-by-global-market\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [5]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.thesurgeon.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [6]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.sneakerfreaker.com\/features\/nike-60-million-lawsuit-against-the-shoe-surgeon-explained\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [7]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/robbreport.com\/style\/footwear\/nike-shoe-surgeon-lawsuit-1235775183\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [8]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/www.sneakerfreaker.com\/features\/nike-60-million-lawsuit-against-the-shoe-surgeon-explained\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [9]<\/sup><\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n [10]<\/sup><\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n [11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.essentiallysports.com\/nba-active-basketball-news-shoe-surgeon-lawsuit-all-details-about-lebron-james-custom-kicks-which-sparked-sixty-million-nike-battle\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [12]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/robbreport.com\/style\/footwear\/nike-shoe-surgeon-lawsuit-1235775183\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [13]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.thesurgeon.com\/pages\/the-shoe-surgeon-lebron-30k-point-milestone<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [14]<\/sup><\/a> https:\/\/robbreport.com\/style\/footwear\/nike-shoe-surgeon-lawsuit-1235775183\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n [15]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.inverse.com\/input\/style\/warren-lotas-nike-have-reached-a-settlement-over-his-illegal-fake-dunks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [16]<\/sup><\/a>https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/litigation\/nike-settles-trademark-case-against-bape-over-shoe-designs-2024-04-29\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n [17]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2022\/8\/john-geiger-nike-lawsuit-air-force-1<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Claudio Simione, Staff Writer As the legendary Nike turned Air Jordan visionary (and Trafford, PA native!) Sonny Vaccaro once said, \u201cA shoe is just a shoe until somebody steps into it\u201d.[1] However, this adage is not always true when you\u2019re a sneakerhead, which I\u2019ve both been privileged and cursed to [\u2026] <\/p>\n
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