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Source: Nike / NIke
Once again Nike is back in court on the offensive as they’ve decided to bring yet another lawsuit against a few competitors who they feel are infringing on their creations.
According to Complex, Nike has filed a few patent infringement lawsuits against both Skechers and New Balance for biting their beloved Flyknit technology and using it on their own footwear silhouettes. Suing both companies for “unauthorized use of it’s patented technology,” Nike is looking to shut down both brands from continuing to produce and sell it’s increasingly popular footwear lines.
Citing dozens of Skechers models and 21 New Balance sneakers in their lawsuit which they allege ripped off their Flyknit tech, Nike wants the courts to step in and not only award them damages, but also stop both companies from continuing to bank off what they say was their original creation.
Complex reports:
Nike holds a number of different patents for its Flyknit material, the first of which was granted in September 2012.
Nike has sued Skechers over alleged Flyknit infringement before, but this is the first time the brand has taken aim at New Balance. In January, Nike contacted New Balance in an attempt to flag the issue before going through with the lawsuit, but claims New Balance has instead “only escalated the scope of its infringing activities.”
Nike isn’t playing when it comes to their chips. Whether you’re an independent sneaker creator or a big conglomerate of a company, if they feel your hand in their pocket, they’ll try to cut it off. Heck, it might get to the point where Nike starts suing customers for not rocking their footwear with the proper attire and making them look bad.
Following the lawsuit, New Balance decided to acknowledge the situation and released a statement on the matter.
“New Balance 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. We will vigorously defend ourselves against Nike’s attempts to enforce its patents beyond their lawful scope.”
When reached for comment, Skechers declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Skechers doesn’t want that Nike smoke and might fold quick-fast. New Balance meanwhile seems ready to fight to the end to maintain it’s growing popularity.
What do y’all think of Nike slapping New Balance and Skechers with this lawsuit? Are they justified or just plain old greedy at this point? Let us know in the comments section below.
“F— Kenny G!” Action Bronson playfully exclaimed halfway through his performance at New Balance‘s TCA New York City Marathon Kick-Off Party on Friday night (Nov. 3). The Queens rapper wasn’t really throwing shots at the Grammy-winning smooth jazz saxophonist, he was simply singing the praises of Matt Carrillo (aka Young Mexico), the incredibly impressive saxophonist and keyboardist that served as one of the main anchors of the band’s whimsical set.
At New Balance’s TCA New York City Marathon Kick-Off Party, sports and hip-hop continued their decades-long convergence as Action Bronson helped celebrate the imminent 26.2-mile race, as well as the latest evolution in his partnership with sports footwear giant New Balance.
After Adidas unexpectedly canceled his UltraBOOST collaboration back in 2019, Bronson teamed up with New Balance, officially announcing a new multi-item collaborative capsule with the brand back in March. Among the items in the capsule were the New Balance 990v6 “Baklava” sneaker. A few months later, a second 990v6 sneaker — named “Lapis Lazuli” — arrived exclusively on Bronson’s specializinginlife.com website (Jun. 22), receiving a global release on Jun. 30.
“I’m just enchanted by nature,” Bronson mused backstage before his performance. “Nature’s beauty. It’s natural beauty. It’s whimsical. It’s like stranger than fiction.”
Given the forest green hues and deep blues that appear across his different colorways, Bronson’s relationship with all of nature’s gifts truly inspired the design of his New Balance collaborations. Finding a home with New Balance was a special journey after the less-than-favorable way his Adidas partnership dissolved, but “I’ve been a New Balance guy for years, way before any of this other s—,” Bronson explains. “I’ve come from a family of f—ing chubby feet, flat feet, where you need a good walking shoe and something with stability and comfort as well as performance. This provides all three for my type.” To further explain, Bronson likened his foot type to “a triangle slice of pizza.”
During his set, Bronson tore through lively renditions of “Latin Grammys,” “DMTri,” and “Baby Blue,” allowing his five-member band to riff to both their heart’s desire and the audience’s pleasure. Embodying the whimsy he attributed to nature, Bronson delivered a characteristically charismatic stage show that even featured him literally touching his toes onstage and adding idiosyncratic percussion flourishes.
Cocodrillo Turbo, Bronson’s last studio effort, arrived last year, but the Billboard Hot 100 hitmaker is already formulating his next LP, although he’s purposely keeping his plans lowkey. “Lots of things [are] coming in the new year,” he teased. “Exciting things if you can’t tell how excited I am. I’m just stoned!”
The TCS NYC Marathon launches on Sunday (Nov. 5) at 8:00 a.m. EST.
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The 2023 U.S. Open Tennis has crowned Coco Gauff as its champion! After a close match between the 19-year-old and No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka, it was Gauff who came out victorious on Saturday (Sept. 9). And she did it wearing her signature New Balance sneakers.
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To celebrate her big win, the tennis pro took to TikTok and posted a video of herself holding the trophy in an all-pink Barbiecore-inspired outfit.
“This barbie is the us open champion,” the caption read.
The championship also marked a few firsts for Gauff, as not only did she take home her first Grand Slam win, but she did so in her first-ever signature Coco CG1 Tennis Shoes with New Balance.
Their partnership began before she entered this year’s U.S. open, though, as New Balance first saw her talent back when she was 14 years old. The brand said they “could see what a special talent she was on the court, but also off,” according to a press release. Now that she’s taken home the U.S. Open champion title, she couldn’t be more thankful for their ongoing support.
“This victory means the world to me, and I hope it inspires others to chase their dreams with determination and passion,” said Coco Gauff in a press statement. “I could never have done this without the support of my family and my team, and I am forever grateful for partners like New Balance that feel like an extension of my family and who have been with me since I was 14 years old.”
Even before she won the Grand Slam, many could see the tennis prodigy’s talent, including Bose, who sat down with her to talk about her life, family and how music and sounds impact her game. She said she always tries to be “authentically [herself] and don’t try to fit in any mold,” which you can see in the bold colorway of her CG1 tennis sneakers.
Want to sport the winning look yourself? The exact tennis sneaker is available to buy now, but not for long. Sizes of the red, black and yellow sneakers are quickly selling out from retailers including New Balance and Dick’s Sporting Goods, which means you’ll have to act fast to secure a pair of your own.
Keep reading to shop the New Balance sneakers below.
New Balance
New Balance Coco CG1
$169.99
Channel your inner champion with a pair of these New Balance sneakers, whether you’re practicing tennis, pickleball or just grabbing lunch with friends. The shoes take inspiration from basketball silhouettes and ’90s aesthetics, resulting in a pair of bold athletic wear that’ll support your feet with FuelCell cushioning and new Energy Arc technology.
Size not available? Be sure to check out Dick’s Sporting Goods as well or resale sites such as eBay that might have pairs available.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best running shorts, men’s sneaker deals and shoes for travel.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The Nordstrom Spring Sale is here! For a limited time, shoppers can save on shoes, clothes, beauty and grooming products, home goods and other spring essentials.
The sale offers up to 60% off bestselling brands, but if you’re looking for some of the deepest deals, you’ll need to hit up the men’s shoe department. Sneaker lovers can save up to 76% off tops brands including Adidas, Nike, Puma, Reebok and New Balance in addition to Fear of God, Givenchy, Raf Simons, Jill Sander, Alexander McQueen and other designer brands.
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To make things easier for you, we dug through the sale to find eight of the best deals on men’s sneakers. See the roundup below, and for more spring shopping recommendations, be sure to read our picks for the best music festival gear and can’t miss tech deals.
Adidas ’84 Forum Low Sneaker
$65 $100 35% off% OFF
With more than 2,000 customer reviews, it’s safe to say that Adidas’ ’84 Forum Low Sneaker has its own fan club. The ’84 Forum Low is on sale in blue and white colorways as well as purple and gold, and red white and blue. You can also find Forum ’84 Lows on sale at Adidas for $59.
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Fear of God The Essentials Tennis Mid Top Sneaker
$103.25 $295 65% off% OFF
Fear of God’s Essential Mid Top Sneaker is a sustainable shoe to cop during Earth Month and beyond. This casual shoe is made from pieces of recycled leather and available in cement, tobacco and warm taupe.
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An all-time classic. The ultra-comfortable New Balance 574 sneaker is on sale in four colorways including arctic gray (pictured) apollo gray, agave green and black/red.
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Vans U-Sk8 Hi-Sneaker
$39.98 $79.95 50% off% OFF
The walnut-colored Vans SK8 Hi-Sneaker is currently half-off at Nordstrom. This popular shoe has a velvety-smooth upper with a padded collar and rubber waffle sole.
Sorel Explorer Waterproof Sneaker Boot
$91
Part sneaker, part boot. The Sorel Explorer Waterproof Mid Sneaker will help you take on cold and rainy weather in style.
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Nike Air Presto
$67.60 $130 48% off% OFF
With more than 20 years under its belt, the Nike Air Presto is officially vintage. This high-performance running sneaker first hit the market in 2000 and has been a hit ever since. The Air Presto is on sale in select colors including the teal design pictured above along with black, white and gray.
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Nike Air Max Terrascape 97 Sneaker
$129.50 $185 30% off% OFF
Another vintage shoe from the Nike catalog, the Air Max Terrascape ’97 sneaker features the signature ripple design inspired by Japanese bullet trains. This shoe is on sale in summit white and black/elemental and pink/lime.
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Alexander McQueen Court High Dunk Sneaker
$272 $850 68% off% OFF
Alexander McQueen‘s Court High Dunk Sneaker offers up one of the deepest Nordstrom deals that you can find on men’s shoes. Marked down nearly 70%, this high-performance dunk sneaker features an airy mesh, color-pop accents and an exaggerated rubber sole.
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Source: Burak Cingi / Getty
With adidas’ popularity out in these street waning thanks to both Kanye West’s antisemitic outbursts and cutting ties with Kanye West over said outburst (can’t win for losing), New Balance is looking to come up further in the sneaker world. And they have a rap artist of their own in mind to help them get there.
Hypebeast is reporting that a new Action Bronson x New Balance collaboration is on the way. Just like the “Easy Rider” rapper, the New Balance 990v6 “Baklava” and the capsule collection that accompanies it is a very colorful affair. From bright yellow to more earth tone colors, the new collection is sure to catch eyes and even lure customers over to the New Balance side of things. (Just look at the resale prices for some NB sneakers that you never see on the block).
From Hypebeast:
Sneaking a shot of the shoe on-foot in his latest preview of the collaboration, Bronson has brought a banana yellow to the 990v6’s midsole and mudguard. Magenta laces also enter the mix while gray outfits a majority of the upper’s mixed material composition. Typical New Balance branding arrives with the “N” logo in silver and a co-branded tongue completing this first look at the arrangement.
Action Bronson was more than excited to be a part of the new collection. On his IG page, he let as much be known in the following caption. “I FLEW IN A HOT ASS MODEL FOR THE SHOOT IM SO PROUD TO WORK WITH THIS STUD. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE INVOLVED BEHIND THE SCENE FOR HELP BRINGING THIS MADNESS TO LIFE IN REALITY. IT WAS AND IS AN HONOR TO WORK WITH SUCH DEDICATED AND TALENTED MINDS. EVERYTHING DROPS THIS FRIDAY ON SPECIALIZINGINLIFE.com.”
While we don’t expect New Balance to reach Yeezy heights anytime soon, they’re definitely rising in popularity. And this new collection is poised to help them get more fans and customers when it drops later this week.
The Action Bronson x New Balance collab is set to drop March 17 via Specializinginlife.com followed by a New Balance release March 24. Will you be picking up any pieces from this collection? Let us know in the comments section below.
Written By Alvin aqua Blanco , Director of Content Posted 38 mins ago @aqua174 Alvin aqua Blanco is the Director of Content in the Men’s Division for iOne Digital, steering Cassius Life and Hip-Hop Wired. Representing the Bronx, he was nurtured by a steady diet of Hip-Hop culture and music. He graduated from the University […]
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Source: Nissan / Nissan
Collaborations are common in the sneaker culture but Nissan and New Balance have taken it to a new level with a sneaker-themed car.
Source: Nissan / Nissan
As spotted on Hypebeast, the two brands have come together in a groundbreaking manner. This week the Japanese automobile manufacturer unveiled the Nissan Kicks “327 Edition,” a crossover inspired by the New Balance 327. The result is a car that looks like a shoe on wheels. Literally.
Present are the sneaker’s signature details including the textile stitching, suede material throughout the front and back bumper, a wrap to mimic the ’70s nylon retro aesthetic and the rear grille acts as the black rubber toe box. Additionally, we get the New Balance logo on the right side and massive “Nissan Kicks 327 Edition” branding on the left side.
Sadly, the project will not be released to the general market as your typical car launch. Instead the Nissan Kicks “327 Edition” will live as an exhibit at Aeon Mall in Tokyo; a Ginza landmark for over 50 years. Along with the opportunity to view it in person, there is a social sharing component with the campaign that incentives consumers to tweet photos of the crossover for a chance to win a pair of New Balance 327 sneakers.
Stay tuned to the official Nissan Instagram account for more details.
Source: Nissan / Nissan
Photo: Nissan
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