Nike Sued by 7-Eleven for Trademark Infringement

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Nike is being sued by 7-Eleven for trademark infringement over the design of a sneaker that appears to be inspired by the the convenience store’s iconic branding. According to the lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in the northern district of Texas where 7-Eleven is based, a new Nike Air Max 95 Big Bubble “Sport Green and Safety Orange” style is not an official collaboration and infringes on the store’s tricolor trademarks.

“Nike’s infringement is a deliberate and willful effort to associate its footwear with 7-Eleven by copying or imitating the Tri-Color Mark,” said 7-Eleven in their suit. “Nike’s misleading practices and misappropriation of 7-Eleven’s Tri-Color Mark likely will cause — and indeed already have caused — confusion among the public and likely will deceive consumers as to the Infringing Footwear’s source, sponsorship, endorsement, or affiliation.”

Nike has attempted to collaborate with 7-Eleven in the past. In 2020, a 7-Eleven x Nike SB Dunk Low sneaker was planned for release during the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but the collab was ultimately canceled after the event was postponed due to COVID.

Now, it appears, Nike has taken it upon themselves to launch a new convenience store-inspired shoe without the involvement of their former brand partner, even going as far as to plan their launch of the show on July 11 (7/11) July 11, the same day the convenience store chain hosts “7-Eleven Day” and “Free Slurpee Day.”

“Nike has shown a callous and malicious disregard for 7-Eleven’s rights,” the filing stated. “Nike has thus acted in bad faith, with malicious intent, and in knowing disregard of 7-Eleven’s rights.”

7-Eleven is demanding that Nike cease “distributing, marketing or selling” the footwear, and asking the court to award them damages and reimbursement for legal and attorney fees. It’s also requesting that the Air Max 95 sneakers, along with any advertising and marketing materials, be destroyed.

If the court sides with 7-Elevn on this issue and Nike destroys their current stock of the shoes, it would make the few pairs that are currently circulating some of the rarest sneakers in the world. Which, of course, would make them highly collectible despite the fact that, to be blunt, they are kind of ugly. StockX, for example, is currently reselling the shoes for up to 3.5 times their retail prices, and the price is only likely to go up from there.