Things between Vans and Target are getting heated. The iconic skate brand has filed a lawsuit against the retail chain.
Legal documents say that Vans accuses Target of creating a shoe that has a silhouette nearly identical to their popular "Old Skool Shoe," according to TMZ. According to Vans, Target's "Camella Lace-Up" sneakers purposely brandishes the signature jazz-stripe to trick the consumer into buying the Target version of the shoe. The lawsuit also points to comments on Target's website that call their shoe "fake Vans" as further proof of imitation ("I love my fake Vans!").
Vans and its parent company, the VF Corporation, are asking Target to discontinue the "fake Vans" and wants the profits made from the "Camella Lace-Ups."
This isn't the first time Vans has went out of its way to protect their classic designs. The company has admitted to taking a "closer look" into pursuing legal action against designer Ian Connor for his Vans-inspired shoes. Vans also sued Sketchers, who admitted to "borrowing" one of their ideas.
Target seems to be taking this issue very seriously—a spokesperson for the retail giant told TMZ that they are looking into the claims and "have a deep appreciation and respect for design rights."
