New Balance accuses Karl Lagerfeld of copying sneaker design

Footwear company New Balance is suing designer Karl Lagerfeld,

after one of his latest designs bared too much of resemblance to one of its sneaker designs.

New Balance is concerned that the sneaker design may cause “confusion” among shoppers. A company spokesperson from New Balance revealed to WWD that the lawsuit had been filed on June 3 “against Karl Lagerfeld to protect our intellectual property rights related to our iconic Lifestylefootwear designs.”

“Although we cannot comment on the specifics of the case, we believe it is vital to actively and vigorously defend our brand.” New Balance argues that Lagerfeld merely replaced it's 'N' logo with a capital 'K' on his sneaker from his own brand, but that otherwise the sneakers are nearly identical.