Kanye West files a lawsuit against Walmart for ‘ripping off’ his Yeezy Foam Runner shoes
- Rapper, 44, said in legal docs that retailer was ‘flagrantly trading off of his and Yeezy brand’s popularity’
- West said that company was hurting his brand, leading to him bringing litigation
- West said it could result in loss of ‘hundreds of millions’ of dollars for his brand
- Walmart said the product was being sold via their platform by a reseller
- Retailer said it’s taking ‘allegations like this seriously and reviewing the claim’
Kanye West is suing Walmart for allegedly ripping off his Yeezy Foam Runner shoes.
The 44-year-old rapper’s legal team noted in the lawsuit that they’ve already reached out to the company about the issue as well as provided photos of the two shoes for comparison, according to The Blast.
Kanye said in the documentation that ‘Walmart is flagrantly trading off of his and Yeezy brand’s popularity by offering for sale an imitation version of the Yeezy Foam Runner.’
Kanye West is suing Walmart for allegedly ripping off his Yeezy Foam Runner shoes. The 44-year-old rapper’s legal team noted in the lawsuit that they’ve already reached out to the company about the issue as well as provided photos of the two shoes, according to The Blast; the Yeezy Foam Runners pictured
Imitation: Kanye said in the documentation that ‘Walmart is flagrantly trading off of his and Yeezy brand’s popularity by offering for sale an imitation version of the Yeezy Foam Runner;’ the Walmart brand of shoes
Walmart issued a statement to TMZ Thursday explaining that the product in question was being sold via their platform by a reseller, and not the company itself.
‘The product referenced in the complaint is not sold by Walmart, but rather by third party Marketplace sellers,’ a company rep told the outlet. ‘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.’
In their report, The Blast noted that the lawsuit claimed that the conduct from Walmart is ‘harming’ Kanye and his Yeezy brand.
The document read: ‘Walmart’s conduct is harming and will continue to harm, West and Yeezy, leaving them no choice but (to sue) to stop Walmart’s unfair competition and profiting from the popularity of the success of West and Yeezy.’
Legal: The outlet noted that the lawsuit claimed that the conduct from Walmart is ‘harming’ Kanye and his Yeezy brand; seen November 7, 2019 in NYC
Walmart: The document read: ‘Walmart’s conduct is harming and will continue to harm, West and Yeezy, leaving them no choice but (to sue) to stop Walmart’s unfair competition and profiting from the popularity of the success of West and Yeezy’
His legal team noted that the Yeezy brand is worth ‘billions’ of dollars and the imitation shoe could result in the loss of ‘hundreds of millions’ of dollars.
The documents stated that celebrities are often seen photographed in the Yeezy brand, which in turn ‘enhances the brand’s popularity and appeal to the general public.’
It also lists the celebrities seen wearing them, including his estranged wife Kim Kardashian, as well as Justin and Hailey Bieber, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Ariana Grande and Snoop Dogg.
The legal documents stated that Kanye ‘sets trends for everything he touches’ and that he is a ‘household name,’ per the outlet.
Adding that the ‘Yeezy brand’ is synonymous with Kanye and is ‘one of the most influential and successful brands in fashion.’
Shoes: The document read: ‘Walmart’s conduct is harming and will continue to harm, West and Yeezy, leaving them no choice but (to sue) to stop Walmart’s unfair competition and profiting from the popularity of the success of West and Yeezy’
Item in question: His legal team noted that the Yeezy brand is worth ‘billions’ of dollars and the imitation shoe could result in the loss of ‘hundreds of millions’ of dollars
They also claim that Yeezy is ‘losing market shares’ with the imitation shoes allegedly harming the reputation and the goodwill of the rapper’s brand.
The lawsuit comes amid Kanye’s new romance with supermodel Irina Shayk.
Their new relationship was confirmed earlier this month after the rapper and the model were seen enjoying a romantic stroll in Provence, France.
Yeezy: They also claim that Yeezy is ‘losing market shares’ with the imitation shoes allegedly harming the reputation and the goodwill of the rapper’s brand; Kanye with Steven Smith in New York City on November 7, 2019
They have been together for months, as early as March, per TMZ, with the couple spending time together in New York City as well.
During that time Irina was seen wearing a DMX memorial shirt before it was available to the public.
The custom shirts for DMX were commissioned by Kanye’s Yeezy brand and designed by Balenciaga.
The project Kanye helmed raised over $1 million for DMX’s family with profits.
Romance: The lawsuit comes amid Kanye’s new romance with supermodel Irina Shayk. Their new relationship was confirmed earlier this month after the rapper and the model were seen enjoying a romantic stroll in Provence, France; seen on April 26 with her daughter Lea De Seine, four
Kanye and Irina were seen taking a romantic stroll in Provence, France, on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, as seen in exclusive images obtained by DailyMail.com.
The duo stayed at the luxury Villa La Costa boutique hotel together.
Irina, 35, and Kanye flew back to the the states via private jet after spending time in Provence, France for his 44th birthday.
Though the pairing may appear random to some, Irina and Kanye have been connected for more than a decade.
Back in 2010, the runway maven was a featured player in West’s Heaven-inspired Power music video, where she portrayed an angel.
Specifically, Shayk sported a revealing gold getup and a pair of CGI angel wings.
Just two years later, the Russian-born beauty put her modeling skills to the test as she graced the runway for West’s Fall/Winter fashion collection at Paris Fashion Week.
Power: Back in 2010, the runway maven was a featured player in West’s Heaven-inspired Power music video, where she portrayed an angel; Irina pictured seated in front of Kanye
In his 2010 song Christian Dior Denim Flow he rapped: ‘I wanna see Irina Shayk next to Doutzen.’
Kanye’s nearly seven year marriage to Kim Kardashian, 40, came to an end in February, with the reality TV sensation filing for divorce.
According to People, the Stronger rapper filed his response for divorce in early April, where he asked for joint legal and physical custody of their children.
The estranged pair share daughters North, eight, Chicago, three, and sons Saint, five, and Psalm, two.
End of an era: Kanye’s nearly seven year marriage to Kim Kardashian came to an end in February, with the reality TV sensation filing for divorce; pictured June 21, 2018 at Paris Fashion Week
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