New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. has sued LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, alleging that the luxury goods company copied its best-selling 574 casual sneaker..

According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, New
Balance alleges that  LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton's Minstrel
sneaker, released as part of the luxury firm's winter 2009 collection,
intentionally copies the 574's shape and coloring with the Minstrel. New  Balance first introduced the model in the mid-nineties.

“Louis Vuitton's deliberate attempt to trade off of the New Balance
trade dress is clear from the fact that the principal color in which
the Minstrel is offered is a gray/gray colorway that, in conjunction
with the New Balance trade dress, is exclusively associated with New
Balance as source,” the suit said.

The 574 is extremely popular with the general public and in fashion and celebrity circles, with 20 million-plus pairs sold since 2002. It noted that celebrities frequently seen wearing the 574s include Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, Blake Lively, Ludacris and Will Ferrell.

New Balance said it's worked with artists and designers on special editions of the 574 in upscale fabrics that typically sell out. Given that, ordinary consumers are likely to erroneously believe New Balance has an affiliation with Louis Vuitton's Minstrel shoe, the company asserts.

“Indeed, it is possible that had New Balance authorized Louis Vuitton to design a special Louis Vuitton edition of the iconic New Balance 574 shoe, the Minstrel might have been a highly successful collaboration,” the suit states.

Paris-based Louis Vuitton started selling the Minstrel for $590 last month. It mimics the 574's shape and construction, the lawsuit alleges, and the suede version comes in grey – the top-selling color for the 574, which sells for $75. The initials “LV” also are located in the same place as the “N” on New Balance sneakers.

The complaint also points to nine online sites that wrote about them, including www.majorish.com, which said, “Are they sure these are Louis Vuitton and not New Balance! I guess we ran out of ideas!”

In a statement, New Balance said it believes Louis Vuitton takes its own intellectual property rights seriously, and it's hopeful the matter can be resolved promptly. Louis Vuitton did not return calls.

New Balance is seeking an injunction against further sales of the
model, a court-ordered recall, any profits LVMH made from products
found to be infringing and unspecified damages.