Kanye West sues Walmart for allegedly copying his foam runner shoes
Kanye West has sued Walmart for allegedly copying his foam runner trainers, according to reports.
The rapper, per TMZ, has filed a lawsuit filed a lawsuit against Walmart claiming hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for apparent imitation of his Foam Runner design and reselling their product at $24.99.
West debuted the shoes in 2019, with $75 pairs quickly selling out and now comprising a resale value of more than triple the RRP. Legal documents seen by TMZ claim that West sent several warnings to Walmart to pull the product off their website but his request was allegedly refused.
Shoes on Walmart’s website are advertised as the “Summer beach shoes Foam Runner” and feature various colours. Walmart’s “unauthorised exact copy” has sizes for men, women and children.
The news follows West and Walmart being embroiled in legal troubles earlier this year when the retailer sued the rapper, claiming that his Yeezy logo was too close to their logo, which features ray-like illustrations.
Walmart, which has used the logo in question since 2007, believes West’s Yeezy logo is “likely to cause confusion and lead to consumer deception” [via HipHopDX].
West reportedly had plants use the logo when branding trainers, underwear, furniture and modular homes.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, West’s manager appeared to hint that the rapper is currently working on a new album titled ‘WestDayEver’.
The follow-up record to October 2019’s ‘Jesus Is King’ has been in the works for some time, with West’s much-anticipated ‘Donda’ album failing to materialise as promised back in July 2020.