How to run the fastest race to shoe success with patents

Let’s be honest it is not going to make much difference to my running, except maybe ‘feeling the part’.

The running shoe patent arms race is hotting up with litigation in hot pursuit.

Apparently, a bit of carbon in the mid sole and nitrogen in the foam of the sole makes a big difference and the leaders are using patents to keep the followers at bay.

Nike is leading the way with 250 global patent applications published in the 12 months to June 30, 2024. Others are catching up.

Puma and Brooks started a single event race with trademark infringement over the use of the word ‘nitro’, this race then escalated to a multi discipline event including design patents, covering the foam-moulding technology Puma uses in its Nitro shoes! Finally, this race reached the finish line just this week.

Nike was the fastest with its Vaporfly super shoe in 2016. Others tried to follow but stumbled at the patent hurdles Nike had laid across the track. Finally in 2020 Adidas got over the hurdles, innovated round the Nike patents and sprinted ahead.

In such a prestigious race you might expect others to be limbering up on the side of the track and new hopefuls like Li-Ning, Xtep, Hoka, and On are innovating their training regimens to see if they too can compete in the race to supply elite runners.

The running shoe IP strategy rewards innovation using patents and designs and brands using trademarks and brand promise.

I might well be buying a pair soon so I can look good, but they are not likely to give me the wings I desire just yet.

How about you?

I am John Pryor one of “The World’s Leading IP Strategists” and a pioneer in Trade Secrets strategies.

Making IP accessible and valuable for your business.

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I am a strategy consultant focussed on intellectual property and dedicated to helping people and business to make the best use of all available IP to compete and win in the marketplace.

My aim is to increase people’s understanding of Intellectual Property, so that they can successfully and cost effectively use it in their business, to help achieve a higher valuation.

Book: The Innovation Handbook, 2nd Edition 2010. chapter:  How to maximize the value of your intellectual property.

ABOUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS: In these videos I explain some of the most important aspects of intellectual property in ways that make it relevant and accessible to business people.

The Benefit of Hindsight Upfront^TM

Innovation Without IP Is Charity

IP Provides Defence From Unlicensed Offence Leads To Secure Revenue. The Best Defence Is A Good Offence.

Intellectual Property Is A Business Construct To Enable The Sharing Of Ideas And Other Creations Of The Mind

A Strong And Integrated IP Strategy Puts You On The Front Foot In All Commercial And Financial Interactions

IP Supports Competitive Advantage, Drives Growth, Maintains Cash Flows, Secures Investment, Provides Monetisation Opportunities

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