New Balance has taken Decathlon to court over a KIPRUN running shoe logo it claims looks so much like its famous 'N' that consumers could mistake the French retailer's trainers for New Balance footwear.
The Boston-based sportswear company filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Decathlon America LLC and Decathlon USA LLC in federal court in Massachusetts on 15 September, accusing the retailer of using a design that is 'virtually identical and confusingly similar' to its registered N marks. New Balance is seeking an order stopping Decathlon from using the disputed design, the recall or destruction of affected products and monetary damages.
At the heart of the case is a deceptively simple question: is the mark on KIPRUN shoes a K, or, when mirrored, does it look too much like an N?
New Balance Says the Mirrored 'K' Becomes an 'N'
According to the complaint, Decathlon uses a K-shaped design on its KIPRUN running footwear, but New Balance takes issue with a mirrored version appearing on the shoes and in promotional material.
The company argues that the mirrored design is 'unmistakably an N' and says its resemblance to the New Balance mark could create confusion among shoppers. According to the complaint, Decathlon has maintained that the symbol is a K, not an N. New Balance countered in its filing, describing that explanation as 'half true at best'.
The dispute centres on New Balance's long-established N branding. The company says it has used the letter on its footwear since the 1970s and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars promoting its N trademarks, while hundreds of millions of pairs bearing the marks have been sold worldwide.
New Balance also points to online reactions as part of its complaint. The filing cites social media and other online discussions in which runners and consumers noticed the resemblance between KIPRUN shoes and New Balance trainers, including comments that the similarity could cause confusion.
New Balance says it first contacted Decathlon about the disputed design in January 2026, but alleges the retailer declined to change the mark. The sportswear company subsequently pursued the matter in court.
Decathlon Faces Trademark Fight Over KIPRUN Trainers
KIPRUN is Decathlon's dedicated running brand, and the disputed design appears on performance running footwear sold in the US market. The complaint identifies eight KIPRUN models carrying the contested mark, ranging from the $130 Kipsummit to the $350 Kipstorm Lab.
New Balance is asking the court to block Decathlon from using the disputed mark and is seeking the recall or destruction of products bearing it, along with financial damages. The amount of any damages would be determined through the legal proceedings.
The case, New Balance Athletics Inc v Decathlon America LLC et al, was filed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts under case number 1:26-cv-14235. The docket identifies the matter as a trademark case and records that New Balance demanded a jury trial.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of trademark disputes involving New Balance's distinctive N branding. The company has previously pursued cases involving alleged misuse of the mark, including disputes with Michael Kors and Nautica, and secured a roughly $1.5 million damages award in a 2017 Chinese trademark case.
Decathlon did not immediately respond for comment when the lawsuit was reported. The allegations in New Balance's complaint have not been established as fact, and the case will now proceed through the US court system.
For now, a single letter has become the centre of a major branding dispute, with New Balance arguing that Decathlon's K can look remarkably like its iconic N when turned around.
