Kanye West Suing Walmart Over Selling Imitation 'Yeezy' Shoes

Kanye West has just filed a lawsuit against Walmart claiming they are ripping off his Yeezy brand 'Foam Runner' shoe and selling an imitation version in their shoes

According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, Kanye says "Walmart is flagrantly trading off of his and Yeezy brand's popularity by offering for sale an imitation version of the Yeezy Foam Runner." In the lawsuit, Kanye's legal team included pictures of the two items which clearly shows they are very similar.

"Walmart's conduct is harming, and will continue to harm, West and Yeezy, leaving them not choice but (to sue) to stop Walmart's unfair competition and profiting from the popularity of the success of West and Yeezy," the lawsuit states. The suit reminds the company that the Yeezy brand is worth "billions" of dollars, and the potential loss from the imitation shoes in the "hundreds of millions."

In the filing, Kanye's legal team boasted about how famous and important he is in the fashion world, saying, "He sets trends for everything he touches." They continued, “Simply put, Kanye West is a household name, and the Yeezy brand, which has become synonymous with West, has become one of the most influential and successful brands in fashion”.

The lawsuit also pointed out that celebrities all over the world are constantly photographed wearing his products, including ex-wife Kim Kardashian. “Celebrities are regularly photographed wearing Yeezy clothing and footwear and using Yeezy products, which enhances the brand’s popularity and appeal to the general public," it states. Adding, "Some celebs include, Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Jay Z, Hailey Baldwin, Gigi, and Bella Hadid, and Snoop Dogg, to name a few."

The other problem, according to the lawsuit, is that consumers are associated with what he calls a "sub-par product" with the Yeezy brand. Apparently, Kanye believes the imitation version isn't up to the standards of his products. "Not only are West and Yeezy losing market share for their authentic Yeezy Foam Runner, but also their reputation and the goodwill of the Yeezy brand is being harmed by the association with the Imitation Shoe given its subpar quality, as evidenced by the consumer comments shown from the Walmart website," the lawsuit said.

Kanye included customers' reactions from Walmart's own website, with one saying, "Fit is bad and foam broke while wearing.  They come off as you step and lean forward.  The real ones are so worth it for retail.  Don't buy this garbage."

In the documents, Kanye's team says they have already contacted the mega-store about the issue, but it appears the talks have gone nowhere.

Walmart has yet to comment on the lawsuit.