Another day, another brand slinging accusations of copycat products. The ink has only just dried on the lawsuit PUMA are filing against Tiger Woods’s Sun Day Red brand, where the Big Cat are saying consumers will get confused between the jumping puma and the jumping tiger logos… Now, SATISFY are entangling with Nike, although only in the global court of social media (at this stage), as they take issue with the Swoosh’s new running t-shirt that has ventilation holes in it resembling SATISFY’s signature MothTech™.
In a statement posted to , SATISFY write: ‘We would like to address recent inquiries regarding a product that appears to imitate our signature MothTech™ shirts, leading to misinformed comments about a product collaboration with Nike. We were surprised to see a product from Nike surface that closely mirrors our distinctive design. To clarify, SATISFY has no involvement in this project. The design appears to draw heavily from our signature MothTech™ aesthetic, which is disappointing to see from a major corporation known to defend its own image and intellectual property so fiercely.’
The performance brand then goes on to clarify that the MothTech™ was created by their founder and creative director, Brice Partouche, in 2015 and represents their OG DNA. While some are rallying around SATISFY and agreeing with their stance that ‘indie brands are driving innovation at the intersection of sport, style, and culture’ with bigger brands cashing in on their designs, others point out that putting holes in a shirt isn’t that novel of an idea (or even a technology). Body mapped-ventilation is a common feature across sportswear (the Swoosh regularly uses it in their AeroSwift range), and runners have been cutting holes in their clothing for years. Alberto Salazar sported a drastically drilled shirt during the ‘84 Olympics, and runners like Jim Walmsley, Desiree Linden, Scott Jurek and Galen Rupp also followed suit through various races. From an urban running perspective, ventilated mapping has been a regular feature of other Swoosh lines, including the brand’s Gyakusou line with Undercover, demonstrated here on the brand’s laser light jacket from 2016.
Nike are still yet to respond on this one, so stay tuned to see how the grievance airs out!