Musician and businessman Kanye West is suing retail giant Walmart. TMZ reported that West filed documents on June 24 accusing Walmart of copying his design for his Yeezy Foam Runners.
The lawsuit contends that the store is selling an exact replica of the Yeezy brand in an attempt to fool customers into thinking that they are buying authentic Yeezy Foam Runners instead of the Walmart knock-offs.
West’s version of the shoe was made public in June of 2020 and quickly sold out. The shoes were sold for $75. Walmart’s version of the foam runners, which are called Daeful Summer Beach Shoes Foam Runner Anti-Slipper Sandals, sell for $25.
West claimed that his legal term warned the retailer to pull the shoes from their shelves prior to the lawsuit, but they did not. The lawsuit claims that Walmart could cost Yeezy millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Kanye West officially introduces the clog style @adidas #YEEZY Foam Runners along with plans to start producing more sustainable products in the United States with a new foam created from algae. Details: https://t.co/ry3NlEKD1a pic.twitter.com/KtE09DwUjh
— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) November 8, 2019
I mean that’s deadass the same shoe holy shit lol might have to bop down to Walmart and get my yeezy knockoffs before they get pulled form the shelves https://t.co/l8hqijXffZ
— quarantine ken (@kenneth_doee) June 25, 2021
A spokesperson from Walmart released a statement passing the buck to a third party for the mishap.
“The product referenced in the complaint is not sold by Walmart, but rather by third party Marketplace sellers. We take allegations like this seriously and are reviewing the claim. We will respond in court as appropriate after we have been served with the complaint.”
People made fun of the shoes when they first came out and compared them to Crocs. The Walmart brand popped up on social media after people began calling the shoes “budget Yeezys.”
West said in the lawsuit that the Walmart brand was garbage, subpar and “ripped after 20 minutes.”
We searched for the knock-offs on Walmart’s website on June 25, and as of then, the shoes were no longer available online.
