Balance Athletica To Change Name Following New Balance Lawsuit

Following a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by New Balance Athletics Inc., Denver-based athleisure brand, Balance Athletica, is looking for a new name.

According to court papers originally filed in November 2020 in Massachusetts, New Balance alleged that Balance Athletica deliberately used a “confusingly similar mark” in an effort to sell athletic goods to the same demographic while leveraging the same marketing channels.

Furthermore, New Balance noted that Balance Athletica filed a trademark application with the United States Patent & Trademark Office for “Achieve Balance” to use on footwear, apparel and other products. However, the Massachusetts-based brand has exclusively used the mark “Achieve With New Balance” since the late 1990s throughout its advertisements and products. In addition, the word “Achieve” has also been placed on almost every one of its shoeboxes.

The case ultimately closed in September 2021. Since then, Balance Athletica has been on the hunt for a new identity.

On Monday, March 21, 2022, the company revealed that it would be changing its name to Vitality.

Vitality was created four years ago by Taylor Dilk, Steve Dilk and Chloe Chamberlain and is a family-owned and operated company. The name change is expected to become official in April 2022 on the brand’s eCommerce site, social media platform and products.

The lawsuit marks yet another effort by New Balance in protecting its trademarks. The sportswear brand recently sued Michael Kors and Olympia shoes over the use of the letter “N” on two sneaker models, claiming trademark infringement. That case is still pending.

Originally published at https://retailbum.com on March 22, 2022.