Converse dismisses several lawsuits

Back in October, iconic sneaker brand Converse filed a lawsuit against an astonishing 31 retail stores citing complains about them knocking off their signature Chuck Taylor design. Some of the retailers that Converse was suing included everyone from Walmart, to Fila, to Bobs, and even Ralph Lauren. Last month in January, Ralph Lauren even agreed to destroy the copycat shoe design, and finally settled with Converse out of court.

In addition to Ralph Lauren, several other companies saw their lawsuits dismissed including Zulily, H&M, and Tory Burch. While it is unclear how the rest of these lawsuits will pan out, as Converse’s PR department has yet to comment on any of them, steps are being made toward ameliorating the situation. This is easily the most controversial lawsuit over a shoe trademark that the fashion industry has seen since YSL versus Christian Louboutin over the red bottom soles.

Converse settles with several retailers

While Converse’s fury over their designs being copied is more than understandable, when you reach iconic status in American culture it is hard for people not to copy you, or at least find inspiration in your design. The Chuck Taylor style has become such a staple in the average American’s wardrobe that they will get their hands on it wherever they can. It only makes sense that designers would have copied the style and tried to make it their own.

In the case of brands like Bobs and Fila, however, many of the shoes ended up looking completely identical to Converse just with a different logo on the back. Whereas brands like Ralph Lauren may have copied the concept but made the style of the shoe a little bit more of their own. Converse chief executive Jim Calhoun explained that the primary goal of the lawsuit is to ensure that no other companies will knock off their iconic design.

In order to prove trademark infringement Converse will have to prove that their designs are one that customers associate with their brand, which may prove difficult given the ridiculous amount of brands that have copied their design. Converse All Star’s were originally created in 1917 and named after acclaimed basketball player Chuck Taylor. Since then, the shoes have become a staple of American fashion, with everyone having owned a pair at some point in their lives. Everyone wants to get their hands on a pair of Chuck Taylor’s, or at least something similar, hence over 30 companies copying the design.

It is unclear how the rest of these lawsuits will pan out, or how long they will pan out, so the public and the fashion industry will be waiting on the edge of their seats to see if Converse is the only one who will have claim the iconic Chuck Taylor design. For those of you who might be wanting any of those Chuck Taylor styles that aren’t Converse it’s highly recommended you buy them now, because they might not be around for much longer. Then again, you can always still just go for the original, and everyone still loves them almost 90 years later.