Walmart has withdrawn the sneaker from its website after being sued by Kanye West on charges that it was selling a pair of sandals that were “nearly indisguisable” from his Yeezy Foam Runners.
According to TMZ, Walmart deleted all pairs of Beige Daeful Mens Womens Kids Summer Beach Shoes Foam Runner Anti Slipper Sandals off their website after West’s complaint requested it. However, the news organization claims that “hundreds” of replicas of the suspected knockoffs are still accessible online through e-commerce sites such as Etsy, where a pair costs between $30 and $60. According to the article, one online seller is even identifying the shoes as “Yeezy Inspired,” yet they are eerily identical to West’s style. As of now, there’s no indication on whether the “Jesus Walks” rapper would call the other merchants and ask them to remove their items.
On September 7, 2018, Kanye West attends the Ralph Lauren 50th Anniversary celebration at Bethesda Terrace in New York City during New York Fashion Week.
As previously reported, the fashion designer filed a lawsuit in a California court in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 24, saying that the sale of the copycat shoes — which retail for between $21.99 and $22.99 — cost his business hundreds of millions of dollars in income.
The retailer disputed ownership at the time, claiming that the shoes were being offered by third-party merchants rather than them. “The product cited in the complaint is not offered by Walmart, but rather by third-party Marketplace sellers,” a Walmart spokeswoman stated in a statement. We take allegations like this very seriously, and we’re looking into it right now. After we have been served with the complaint, we will reply in court as appropriate.”
West’s sneaker, which retailed for $75, was released in June 2020 and quickly sold out everywhere it was available— as does practically all of his goods. The Foam Runner may easily sell for anywhere between $800 and $1,000 on major shoe reselling apps like Flight Club, StockX, and GOAT.
In April 2021, West found himself on the opposition side of accusations after Walmart claimed that the rapper’s “rays from the sun” logo design that he uses for his brand Yeezy looks similar to Walmart’s 13-year-old sun logo.
