"Knitted shoes" triggered Nike and Adidas to go to court, and the performance of the two major sports giants was poor

Recently, the world's two major sports giants have gone to court for their respective "knitted shoes" technology. According to Reuters, Nike is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to block the import of a number of Adidas sneakers, including a joint series with Stella McCartney, Pharrel Williams and Terrex Free Hiker hiking boots.

The front and back feet of "knitted shoes" were born, and the innovative technology caused disputes between the two giants

In its complaint filed on December 8, Nike said Adidas had 49 shoes that used PrimeKnit technology, which infringed six of Nike's patents. In response, according to Reuters, an Adidas spokesperson was quoted as saying that the company is analyzing the complaint and will defend Adidas against these allegations, and stressed that Primeknit technology originates from years of research.

It is worth mentioning that last year, Adidas also tried to sue Nike for invalidating two patents in the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, arguing that Nike copied Primeknit technology, but failed.

The focus of the lawsuit is on flyKnit and Primeknit technology, which are the core technologies of Nike and Adidas in knitted uppers in recent years, respectively, and bring about the global trend of "knitted sneakers". It is understood that Nike's FlyKnit technology was first launched in 2012, subverting the production process of sports shoes in the past, transplanting the knit form similar to socks to the upper, which can reduce waste and improve the functionality of shoes through computer programming. According to Nike, the technology cost more than $100 million and took up to 10 years to study, representing decades of major technological innovations in the upper.

Adidas' first Primeknit technology knit shoe, also launched in 2012, is only 5 months behind Nike Flyknit technology. It is understood that Adidas's upper treatment technology, through seamless connection, the upper can weave the entire upper part into one, completely abandoning the original lining support frame, relying on the upper to provide flexibility and support.

At present, both brands use knitting technology extensively in their respective product lines, such as Nike's running shoes, basketball shoes, football shoes, etc., including basketball star LeBron James and football star C Ronaldo's signature shoes. Adidas' Primeknit technology covers casual shoes, soccer boots, running shoes, hiking shoes, ultraboost, Terrex, X Speedflow and other product lines, and also introduces this knitting technology to the field of clothing.

In recent years, Nike has repeatedly disputed with other brands to protect FlyKnit and other footwear inventions. It is understood that its lawsuit against Puma was settled in January 2020, and the lawsuit against Skechers was settled in November this year.

Facing the brain drain crisis, it has performed poorly in the Chinese market

With the rise of street sports, Nike has done its best in recent years, including the launch of co-brand models, emphasizing sustainable development, etc., to cater to the needs of Gen Z consumers, and try to find a breakthrough in the plight of the epidemic.

Last year, Nike partnered with luxury brand Dior to launch the Air Jordan 1 OG Dior co-brand, and the price was once speculated to 75,000 yuan to 130,000 yuan. In the early years, Nike cooperated with the fashion brand Off-White to launch the "The Ten" series of sneakers, which were all the rage, and recently with the death of the principal Virgil Abloh, they were even more hyped to "sky-high prices". Recently, Nike created a virtual world called "Nikeland" on the game platform Roblox, becoming one of the first sports brands to enter the "metaverse".

"Old rival" Adidas is naturally not far behind, in addition to the same hand in hand with luxury brands Chanel, Prada and the well-known singer Pharrell Williams launched a joint model, but also with the national game "Glory of the King" to launch a joint model. The joint model launched by Adidas on the 80th anniversary of Marvel's establishment has aroused the pursuit of Marvel fans around the world. In addition, Adidas is committed to sustainability, announcing that by 2021, 60% of the brand's products are made from sustainable materials, including recyclable polyester and sustainable cotton.

However, Nike has also had many troubles recently. Nike is facing the worst design brain drain in history, with several senior design directors leaving in November, including Sergio Lozano, who joined Nike in 1990 and designed the Air Max 95, and Nate Jobe, senior shoe design director who partnered with Off-White's late founder Virgil Abloh to create the "The Ten" series.

In addition, due to the suspension of the supply chain in Vietnam, Nike had to lower its sales forecast for the entire fiscal year 2022, and sales in fiscal year 2022 through May next year will increase by about 5% over the previous year, compared with the previous forecast of low double-digit sales growth for the whole year. In addition, Nike's scenery in the Chinese market is no longer visible, and the financial report shows that Nike's revenue in the Chinese market in the first fiscal quarter only recorded an 11% increase to $1.98 billion. As a "difficult brother", Adidas revenue in the third quarter of fiscal 2021 in Greater China fell by 15%.

Beijing News shell financial reporter Qu Xiaoyi

Edited by Li Zheng Proofreader Chen Diyan

Picture IC PHOTO