After claiming the company copied their shoe designs, Nike took the next step. Last year, they sued Kool Kiy and Omi for copying Jordan 1 and Dunk designs, and now they’re targeting BAPE for stealing several shoe designs.
Ever since BAPE started selling the Bapesta sneaker (apparently an Air Force 1 spinoff), many have wondered why Nike never took legal action against them. More than 20 years after Bapesta was first released, Nike filed a formal lawsuit against BAPE on Wednesday, accusing it of copying many of their designs.
In the graphic, Nike demonstrates the striking resemblance between their trademark silhouette and the different sneakers produced by BAPE. The visual diagram shows the comparison between Bape’s Bape Sta and Air Force 1, Bape Sta Mid and Air Force 1 Mid, Sk8 Sta and Dunk, Court Sta High and Air Jordan 1, Court Sta and Air Jordan 1 Low by Bape.
As for why it took more than 20 years to file a lawsuit against BAPE, Nike said that they met with BAPE in 2009 to discuss the design, which caused BAPE to close most of its US stores and reduce its influence in the US market. The Bapesta was redesigned in 2016 to draw less resemblance to the Air Force 1, but re-released in 2021 as the original. That’s when Nike decided to formally take legal action against BAPE.
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