The heat with Puma has just been taken to another level ever since champion sprinter Abby Steiner waged a legal war against the sports giant in a bid to seek justice for her career-threatening injuries that she alleges were a result of wearing Puma shoes. Now, two more athletes have decided to file separate lawsuits against Puma, accusing the brand of designing footwear that has derailed the athletes from being their best on the tracks.
Back in April, Abby Steiner filed a $1.2 million lawsuit against Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. and Puma. The NCAA star alleged that Puma had been responsible for the injuries that she claims have ended her career, alongside alleging Mercedes’ negligence.
World Championship Gold Medalist Champion Allison and Olympian Damion Thomas have recently filed a lawsuit against the brand, claiming that the next-gen technology in their shoes has now caused them injuries that could put them out of action for a really long time. The duo has highlighted specific footwear, namely Deviate NitroElite 2, Deviate Nitro 2, Deviate Nitro, evoSPEED Tokyo Nitro 400M, and evoSPEED Tokyo Brush, all of which come with a carbon-fiber plate and nitrogen-infused foam technology.
All three runners have, however, denounced the tech, exclusively citing its negative relation to the Achilles tendon and foot bones that endure great stress when the runners wear these shoes. Steiner, in her lawsuit, has also claimed that Puma was completely aware of the mechanical flaw used in their latest footwear but chose to remain quiet.
Thomas also gave a statement, citing how Steiner’s injuries and her statements against Puma made him reconsider many of his decisions regarding which footwear to use after assuming his injuries were just a casual blow that could be dealt with privately.
Attorney Peter Flowers, practicing at the law firm Meyers & Flowers, has decided to represent the athletes and frame the litigation in a manner that is expected to reveal a pattern of the products’ liability that has caused massive losses for these athletes.
Despite their current schedule being sidelined by a few injuries, both Allison and Thomas have made remarkable achievements in track, especially with their NCAA track records and with their international accolades. While Allison won the gold medal as part of the United States 4x400m relay team at the 2022 Eugene Championships, Thomas represented Jamaica in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Abby Steiner Shows Excitement on Signing a Deal with Puma in a Throwback Interview
Four years ago, Abby Steiner, fresh off her 200-meter record at the NCAA Championships, signed an endorsement deal with Ouma and spoke about the relief she felt after signing the deal, saying:
“It’s a weight off my shoulders. It’s been something I’ve been so excited about sharing,” she said (0:10).
Things have come full circle in a heartbreaking way as the sprinting star has now gone from finding relief to fighting a legal battle against the sporting giant, and it remains to be seen if she, along with Damion Thomas and Champion Allison, can find justice in this entire ordeal.
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