New Balance sues Golden Goose for this reason

New Balance has filed a lawsuit against Golden Goose alleging that the high-end fashion company copied the aesthetic of its iconic 990.

In 2000, Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo founded their own brand in Venice, and had the nerve to name it after Aesop’s famous fable, The Goose that Lays the Golden Eggs. It is precisely what the Golden Goose brand has become 20 years later with its worn-out silhouettes and high prices. However, the company has just been sued by New Balance.

The complaint alleges that Golden Goose’s Dad-Star shoe is a deliberate attempt to “foster a perceived association between its products and New Balance in the minds of consumers”. The brand wants the advertising and sale of the shoe stopped and all profits from Golden Goose Dad-Stars sold so far awarded to it.

New Balance points out the similarities between all of its 990s, ranging from the v1 to the v6, compared to the Golden Goose Dad-Star. The brand also points out the similarity of the grey tones used in the 990 model, which causes further confusion among consumers. While the New Balance 990 shoes usually sell for around €200, the Golden Goose Dad-Star shoes cost around €600.

The complainant also mentions that Golden Goose may have intentionally named their trainer “Dad-Star”, as she believes that their 990 silhouette is well known from its origins by cool kids as the “Dad-Shoes”, and fans could confuse the Golden Goose model name with the 990.

The third collaboration between WTAPS and New Balance stands out for its understated grey and white interpretation of the 990v6.