Following the lawsuit that Nike filed against La La Land Production and John Geiger, the designer has hired Kanye West’s former YEEZY lawyer, Kenneth Anand. The lawsuit claimed that La La Land and Design Inc.’s creations are “similar” to Nike’s own sneakers, such as the Dunk and Air Force 1.
On August 27, Geiger responded on Instagram saying that, “I’ve been very clear throughout the 2 years of developing and selling the GF-01 that this silhouette was inspired by Nike and also made sure that anyone purchasing the shoe is aware it is a designer shoe crafted with higher materials and quality along with my trademark and changes to the silhouette.”
Anand served as General Counsel of YEEZY Apparel and is the co-creator of Sneaker Law, a business/legal textbook on the footwear industry.
“John Geiger has produced a premium sneaker that is materially different from the Air Force 1 in its design, quality, price, and positioning,” Anand told HYPEBEAST about the case. “There can be no likelihood of confusion between the two. It is well known that the Air Force 1 has been a source of inspiration for many footwear brands. Nike cannot selectively enforce its trade dress against certain creators just because they think they will roll over and settle. At some point, this has to stop,” he said.
Geiger also states that he followed trade dress guidelines by creating his own mold for the GF-01 outsoles, the JG branded trademark, and a changed pattern.
Geiger has created a loyal following since launching his brand in 2017.
Stay tuned to SoleSavy as the lawsuit and the story develops.
Learn more about Geiger’s new legal team and their experience in Episode 64 of the SoleSavy podcast, where we were joined by them.
