A month after U.S. track star Abby Steiner sued Puma over career-ending injuries allegedly tied to its carbon-plated shoes, two more elite sprinters — U.S. world champion sprinter Champion Allison and Jamaican Olympian Damion Thomas — filed lawsuits with similar allegations.
In the suits filed on Tuesday June 9, in the Massachusetts Superior Court, Thomas claims he is unable to run at a professional or Olympic level, while Allison says he cannot run at the same level he did before getting hurt. Like Steiner, the two athletes also sued the Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 team, which assisted in the design of the Puma shoes.
In her lawsuit, Steiner, a two-time world champion and four-time NCAA national champion who holds the U.S. indoor record for the 200m and 300m sprints, claims that the shoe designs, as well as the carbon fiber plate, and/or nitrofoam technology, “changed the foot and ankle mechanics during running that may contribute to or increase the risk of injury.”
Steiner said the shoes led to severe foot injuries, resulting in five surgeries to date and “forced retirement” as an elite athlete. She is seeking more than $1.25 million, including hospital expenses and documented lost wages, and demanded a jury trial.
According to her complaint filed in Middlesex County (Massachusetts) Superior Court, Steiner alleges that Puma and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. misled customers into believing the shoes were adequately and appropriately tested and reasonably safe for their normal, intended use.
Allison and Thomas similarly allege that the companies failed to disclose that the sneakers could place abnormal and unnecessary stress on athletes’ feet and lower legs, contributing to life-altering injuries. According to the suits, Puma promoted the products as safe, extensively tested and suitable for both elite athletes and everyday runners while failing to warn users about potential risks.
“As professional athletes, our bodies are our livelihoods. When you sign with a major brand, you trust that the equipment they put on your feet has been tested and is safe. You don’t expect that what they’re giving you might end your career. If there are dangers or risks, that is something they need to tell people.” said Allison in a press release.
Allison signed with Puma in 2022 and represented the United States at the 2022 World Championships, winning gold on the men’s 4×400 relay team. He also owns the 13th-fastest 400-meter dash time. The following season, he competed just once due to an unspecified injury. He returned to racing in 2024 and last competed in June 2025, with times significantly slower than before his injury.
Thomas Jr. last competed competitively in July 2024. He also signed with Puma in 2022 after winning the NCAA National Championship in the 60-meter hurdles in 2021 and competing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Thereafter, his performance declined, and he underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his foot in the fall of 2024, which he said caused him “extreme discomfort and pain” in his Achilles and lower heel.
“When I learned about Abby Steiner’s lawsuit, it was the first time I considered that what happened to me wasn’t just bad luck,” Thomas Jr. said in the news release. “Like a lot of athletes, I assumed my injury was something I had to deal with on my own. If it took a lawsuit for me to realize I wasn’t alone, there have to be thousands of other athletes out there who still don’t know.”
The lawsuits seek damages for physical and emotional injuries, medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, and lost sponsorship, endorsement and career opportunities.
At the time Steiner’s lawsuit became public, both Puma and Mercedes said that they could not comment on ongoing litigation. However, Puma added that “we strongly deny any allegation that our performance products cause injuries.”
Nike last fall was sued by a former NCAA Division I athlete, Heather Cerney, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging she suffered a sesamoid fracture in her left foot due to the carbon plate and geometry of the AlphaFly.
Image courtesy Puma SE
