Adidas is suing Australian fashion label White Fox Boutique over four-stripe clothing, alleging the designs closely resemble its famous three-stripe trademark. But the dispute goes beyond the clothes themselves: Adidas claims White Fox advertised the pieces on models wearing Adidas shoes, then later digitally edited one of the shoes' three stripes out of the images.
The German sportswear company alleges White Fox's striped clothes are 'substantially identical with or otherwise deceptively similar' to its registered trademarks. It argues the designs and accompanying advertising could lead shoppers to believe Adidas produced, approved or was otherwise connected with the White Fox products.
The case is now before the Federal Court of Australia, where Adidas is seeking orders to stop White Fox from selling the disputed products, along with damages or an account of profits, interest and legal costs. No court has yet ruled that White Fox infringed Adidas' trademarks.
Adidas Says White Fox Kept Selling After Its Warning
White Fox appears to have begun selling products featuring four parallel stripes in January 2026, including lounge shorts, sweatpants and other pieces. Adidas says it asked the Sydney-founded retailer to stop selling the disputed products on 19 March, but an Adidas representative bought plum-coloured lounge shorts with white stripes the following day. According to Adidas' allegations, representatives continued gathering evidence over the following months, including another 12 four-stripe items supplied between May and July.
The sportswear giant also documented White Fox advertising around Sydney, photographing campaigns displayed on buses and at bus stops between April and June. Adidas claims the combination of four-stripe clothing and Adidas footwear in some promotional images made the alleged association even stronger. In its filing, the company accused White Fox of creating the impression that Adidas had produced, authorised or approved the clothes, or that the retailer was at least 'sailing close to the wind'.
The alleged photo editing has become one of the most striking details in the dispute. Adidas says some White Fox promotional images originally showed models wearing the retailer's striped clothing with recognisable three-stripe Adidas shoes. It claims the pictures were later digitally altered so that one stripe disappeared from the footwear, leaving the shoes appearing to have only two.
Four Stripes Have Landed Adidas in Court Before
Adidas has built much of its visual identity around the three-stripe motif since founder Adi Dassler began using stripes on his footwear in 1949. The company has repeatedly defended the design in trademark disputes, including a 2013 Australian Federal Court case against Pacific Brands involving Dunlop and Grosby footwear with four stripes. The court found that some of those four-stripe shoe designs infringed Adidas' trademarks, although others did not, meaning the presence of four stripes alone was not enough to determine infringement.
That distinction could become relevant as the White Fox case moves forward. Adidas also challenged American luxury designer Thom Browne over his four-bar designs in the United States, where a jury found in 2023 that Thom Browne was not liable for trademark infringement. A US appeals court upheld the refusal to reopen that verdict on 29 April 2026, and Adidas filed a petition asking the US Supreme Court to review the decision on 28 September 2026.
White Fox Has Not Been Ordered To Stop Sales
White Fox, founded by Sydney couple Georgia and Daniel Contos in 2013, has grown into an internationally recognised online fashion business with a particularly strong following among teenagers and young adults. Its website continues to carry lounge clothing in multiple colourways, while the lawsuit remains unresolved. The company has not been ordered to stop selling the disputed products at this stage.
White Fox's lawyers have said they cannot comment on a matter currently before the court, and neither side has secured a ruling on the infringement allegations. The first case management hearing is scheduled for Friday, 9 October, before Justice Ian Jackman. Until the Federal Court considers the claims, Adidas' allegations about White Fox's four stripes, advertising and altered images remain unproven.
