Puma sues over Rihanna’s shoes

Los Angeles - Puma, the German multinational company that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, is dragging Californian fashion retailer Forever 21 to court.

Forever 21’s whole “business model is based on trading off of the established goodwill of reputable, name-brand companies such as Puma”, says the company’s legal papers.

Gossip website TMZ reports that Puma is suing Forever 21, accusing it of illegally knocking off several shoes which superstar Rihanna helped design for Puma’s Fenty label.

Rihanna has served as women’s creative director and brand ambassador for the sportswear company since 2014.

In court papers, Puma claims that Forever 21 has copied at least three of Puma and Rihanna’s designs: the Creeper, the Bow Slide and the Fur Slide.

Puma openly admits in the lawsuit that it keeps volumes low on her line to create demand for the “luxury products” – a strategy it claims Forever 21 messes with, with its replica shoes.