Steve Madden Steve Madden sues Adidas over trademark dispute
Steve Madden filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, seeking a declaration that its latest sneaker designs do not infringe Adidas’ iconic “Three-Stripe Mark.”
The complaint marks the latest development in a long-running dispute, with Madden accusing Adidas of “illegal and anticompetitive efforts to monopolise common design features” in the footwear industry.
At issue are Madden’s Viento and Janos sneakers, which feature two non-parallel bands and a stylised “K” shape, designs the company says are visually distinct from Adidas’ three-stripe trademark.
The brand claims Adidas has targeted it with legal threats since at least 2002 and cites Adidas’ opposition to Madden’s pending trademark application for the K-Design as part of a broader pattern of overreach.
Madden also highlights Adidas’ extensive history of trademark enforcement, including more than 325 infringement matters and over 35 lawsuits in the U.S. since 1995. The complaint references Adidas’ unsuccessful case against fashion label Thom Browne, where a jury found no confusion between Browne’s four-bar design and Adidas’ marks.
Framing its designs as part of standard industry practice, Madden argues that elements like stripes, bands, and overlays are common and often functional or decorative, not proprietary. It warns that Adidas’ claims threaten industry-wide design freedom.
Through this lawsuit, Steve Madden is seeking a court ruling that confirms its designs do not infringe Adidas’ registered or common law trademarks, do not violate trade dress protections and do not amount to unfair competition.
The case is Steven Madden, Ltd. v. Adidas AG et al., No. 1:25-cv-02847 (EDNY).
Credit: Steve Madden