News
New Balance Sues Louis Vuitton
For years Louis Vuitton (LVMH), has battled numerous trademark infringement court cases to protect their iconic and world famous LV branding. Now, you would think that a company who knew the value of their branding and their products would know what it means to other companies. Apparently thats not the case when it comes to Louis Vuitton. It seems as if they feel they shouldnt be stepped on but yet feel like they can step on others. And now its coming back to haunt them.
A couple weeks ago New Balance filed a lawsuit in Boston’s U.S. District Court charging that The Minstrel, a new shoe released by Louis Vuitton at a price of $590 is an exact replica of the New Balance 574, a trademarked design from New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. that retails for a little over $50.
The suit that New Balance filed also claims that the company (New Balance) has collaborated with numerous companies and celebrity’s on its popular 574 model that The Minstrel released by LV may confuse customers and lead them to believe that the sneakers are some sort of New Balance x Louis Vuitton collaboration when they are indeed not.
As you can imagine this isnt something New Balance is to pleased on, given the fact this was no joint effect between the two brands. If it were, then we would have a highly successful model on our hands, as the suit even states itself with the quote “Indeed, it is possible that had New Balance authorized Louis Vuitton to design a special Louis Vuitton edition of the iconic New Balance 574 shoe, the Minstrel might have been a highly successful collaboration.”
This suit was filed back around mid-September and no new news has yet to surface on the case. Either things were handled with the quickness out of court to avoid a huge media storm on the story or the court proceedings are still taking place. Coming from somebody whos been to court many of times, this stuff can take months, if not years before it gets settled.
Im personal on team New Balance though. The 574 is a classic and one of my favorite sneakers when it comes to comfort level. Not to mention New Balance is an American company based out of Boston, so i gotta give it up for team USA on this one.
Erik Börjesson From SNS Selling His Collection
Erik Börjesson, co-owner of SneakersNStuff has been an avid sneaker collector for over 15years and has complied a collection of well over 600 sneakers. Since the collection has grown so large, and some of the sneakers just dont get worn anymore, Erik has decided to put up a large portion of his collection for sale. Everything from Jordan, New Balance, Nike, Puma, Adidas and more. Majority of the sneakers up for sale are either in a size 10.5 or 11, since Erik happens to wear a size 11. Dont expect them all to be in mint condition either as it is shown on some that Erik defiantly went hard in his sneakers. A lot of them though can look good as new again with a little bit of help from the JGoods Sneaker Restoration Kit.
A lot of the sneakers are priced fairly cheap but some of the others which are in better condition, ones which Erik doesnt really wanna sell in the first place, are priced a little bit higher. Either way you look at it though the prices are defiantly fair, if not a steal for some.
If you were a size 11, or a serious collector just look to cop some heat for a cheap price regardless if you can wear it or not check out SizeEleven, a site which Erik has put together to sell the collection.
House of Hoops Opening In Maryland
Footlocker is defiantly on a mission to expand the House of Hoops concept store to a much larger audience. Houston, Texas just got its second House of Hoops last week and in just a few days House of Hoops will open up shop in Hyattsville, Maryland at the existing Footlocker location in the Mall at Prince Georges.
The Grand Opening will take place on October 25th and include a guest appearance by Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards and a few special releases, such as the Nike Air Bakin’ – Metallic Silver/Purple the other day, the Nike 1/2 Cent – Metallic Silver/Black, the Nike Zoom Kobe IV ‘Four Rings’ and a Skyposite sporting “202″ on the tongue tag in honor of the local area code.
If you happen to live in the Maryland area make sure you head on out to the Mall at Prince Georges on October 25th to check out the grand opening and the kicks on hand. Via: Footlocker
Mall At Prince Georges
3500 E West Hwy
Hyattsville, MD 20782-1916
(301) 559-8844
Should Marcus Jordan Be Allowed To Wear Jordans?
Marcus Jordan, who is known to have a pretty impressive collection of PE Air Jordans is getting ready to gear up for the University of Central Florida. As he does so a story has developed around Marcus’ choice of footwear.
The University of Central Florida happens to be an adidas sponsored school meaning the teams, including the basketball team, all get adidas apparel and footwear to wear throughout the year. Marcus however wants to play in his Jordans, something which he has done his entire life. He has agreed to follow the school dress code when it comes to the apparel to be worn on the court but when it comes to his choice of footwear Marcus refuses to take the court in a pair of adidas and prefers the fit of Jordans over basketball sneakers.
A decision like this could effect the contract between the school and adidas, or effect the playing career of Marcus at the University of Central Florida. Keith Kribble, the athletic director at the University of Central Florida has said Marcus has the choice to wear whatever sneakers he wants. However, Andrea Corso, a spokeswomen for adidas announced that adidas and the University of Central Florida have not come to an agreement at this time about how the situation will be handled.
We here at Sneaker Obsession believe college athletes such as Marcus Jordan should have the choice to wear whatever footwear they want on the court, regardless of contracts which the athletic departments may have in place. These schools who are sponsored in our opinion have no right to discipline players when it comes to their choice of footwear. Apparel is understandable of course since that will no effect a players performance but sneakers have been know and proven to improve a players performance on the court. Minimizing your players selection of footwear can seriously effect the attributes of your players on the court. Is this something colleges want to do? Limit the abilities of their players?
How do you feel about this situation? Should Marcus Jordan and all college athletes part of sponsored NCAA teams be allowed to wear whatever footwear they prefer best for their game or should they have to follow the teams dress code to a T? Follow the jump to weigh in on our poll.
The JGoods Sneaker Restoration Kit
Every sneakerhead out there has that old beat up pair of kicks in the back of their closet which looks as if they are about to fall apart. You know, the pair you may have went hard in to many times on the court, or quite possibly a pair you just use to rock on the regular which has caused them to suffer from the elements you come across on the streets.
Theres no reason at all for those sneakers to just sit in the closet, no matter how beat they may look. With The JGoods Sneaker Restoration Kit by JGoods its easy for anybody to breathe life back into their old, worn, beat shoes. With the help of this kid your sneakers which you once considered un-rockable can fit right back into your daily lineup again and look fresh again.
The kit includes all the necessary materials for sneaker restoration and the most comprehensive guide to sneaker care, cleaning and restoration available.
The kit includes:
- The JGoods™ Guide to Sneaker Restoration
- 12” by 12” white towel
- Stiff Poly Scrub Brush
- Melamine Foam Pad
- JGoods Finish Remover
- White and Black JGoods Leather Paint
- One High Quality Paint Brush
- Cotton Swabs
- Scourer Sponge
If your interested in The JGoods Sneaker Restoration Kit you can order one now through the JGoods Online Store. To see the results of what the kit can do when you follow the guide, as well as more pictures of the kid and whats included please follow the jump or click here.
Upper Deck x Shepard Fairey – Michael Jordan Hall of Fame Tribute Series
To coincide with Michael Jordan’s induction into the Hall of Fame Upper Deck Authenticated unveils the Michael Jordan Hall of Fame Tribute Print Series from artist Shepard Fairey. The series consists of three prints designed by Shepard Fairey, one containing a head shot of Jordan, another showing MJ in his North Carolina Tar Heels uniform and the final one showing Jordan in his Bulls uniform.
On Thursday, September 17th, 2009 26” x 36” silk-screened master prints signed by both Jordan and Fairey will go on sale for $4,499.99. Each 26″ x 36″ print is limited to a total of 50 pieces. For anyone who purchases the three-part master print series, they will receive the same edition number in the limited-to-50 series for each print (UNC, Bulls and the HOF induction). Additionally, on September 17th the three-part sets signed by just Fairey himself will go on sale. These also measure 26” x 36” and are limited to 123 a piece. Retail price for the prints signed by Fairey only will go on sale for $1,349.99.
If those numbers are out of your price range dont worry cause there are some cheaper versions which will follow the initial release. On September 22nd, individual versions of the dual-signed master prints will go on sale for $1,499.99 each, with the Fairey-only signed versions also being made available for $499.99 apiece. Lastly, on Tuesday, September 29th, an 18” x 24” Fairey-signed print that’s limited to 523 will be made available. Complete sets of the three single-signed, 18? x 24? prints will retail for $215.99 each with individual pieces listed for $79.99.
For info on purchasing the prints you can visit Obeygiant.com. For a closer and larger look at each print please follow the jump or click here.
