Although Adidas and Nike have been in and out of court several times over the years, Adidas has taken it to a new level. On Friday, the company filed its first federal lawsuit against Nike, alleging that its rival infringed on nine of its patents relating to smartphone apps and adjustable shoe tech.

Initially reported by Reuters and Complex, the lawsuit pertains to a number of Nike’s digital products. Adidas claims that the Nike Run Club, Training Club, and SNKRS apps infringe its patents related to features like audio feedback during workouts, GPS tracking, training plans, integration with third-party accessories like heart rate monitors, and the ability to reserve and buy limited-edition sneakers. These are basic features on several running and fitness tracking apps, and this isn’t the first time Adidas has gone to court over it. In 2014, Adidas sued Under Armour over its Map My Fitness app. The two companies eventually settled, with Under Armour agreeing to pay Adidas a licensing fee.

The company also specifically cited its Confirmed app. Adidas introduced the app in 2015, billing it as a way to give customers insider access to its brands and exclusive sneaker releases. Nike’s SNKRS app was launched soon after and basically does the same thing for Nike’s sneakers.

photo by Adidas via Getty Images

Adidas also named Nike’s adjustable Adapt sneakers as infringing upon the Adidas_1. The Adidas_1 were a running shoe that featured a motor inside the sole and a heel sensor to adjust the “stiffness” of the shoe in real time. Meanwhile, Nike’s Adapt technology got a lot of buzz as it reminded consumers of the self-lacing sneakers featured in the classic sci-fi film Back to the Future. The purpose of the two shoes is arguably different, however. The Adidas_1 were meant to be an all-in-one shoe for runners, while Nike’s various iterations on its Adapt sneakers were more about accessibility and comfort.

Ultimately, Adidas is seeking damages from Nike as well as a court order preventing Nike from “directly or indirectly infringing one or more” of the patents involved. Should Adidas win, that could have a potentially far-reaching impact on fitness tracking apps. As mentioned, features like GPS route tracking cited in Adidas’ suit are almost ubiquitous in apps like Strava and Runkeeper as well as companion apps for various fitness trackers like Garmin and Polar.

Back in February, Nike sued StockX, a popular online sneaker reseller, for launching a non-fungible token (NFT) series based on Nike’s shoes. It then accused StockX last month of knowingly selling counterfeits — a thing that shouldn’t be possible since StockX claims it authenticates the shoes sold on its site. Now, StockX is hitting back. In a court filing, the sneaker reseller says that Nike’s complaint is “nothing more than a failed attempt to bolster its still meritless claims.”

StockX introduced its Vault NFT series in January. In the company’s own words, the idea was to allow customers to buy NFTs tied to a physical product akin to a digital receipt. According to the company, the benefit would be more efficient trading as a buyer wouldn’t have to wait to resell a shoe. Of the nine limited-edition Vault NFT series initially launched, eight were linked to Nike shoes.

When Nike sued, it claimed the NFTs infringed on its trademarks and would be confusing to customers. Then, in an amended complaint, Nike said it bought four pairs of counterfeit shoes from December to February. Essentially, Nike is questioning how StockX can use NFTs to authenticate sneakers when it can’t even reliably tell if a sneaker is real or fake.

StockX takes issue with Nike’s characterization of its authentication process. Unlike other resellers, StockX made a name for itself by promising each shoe sold on its site is the real deal. In the filing, the reseller says each sneaker is inspected by hand along with “AI-enhanced machine learning technology.” It also noted that in the past, Nike had praised StockX’s authentication process and its efforts to stop counterfeits.

Basically, the whole brouhaha boils down to Nike and StockX disagreeing over what the Vault NFTs are. StockX says in the filing that the Vault NFTs are “absolutely not ‘virtual products’ or digital sneakers” because they’re tied to a physical good. Because it serves as a digital receipt, StockX says it can’t actually be sold as a separate product. The thing is, when you buy the Vault NFT, the shoe itself actually stays in StockX inventory until someone chooses to claim the physical good. The NFT, in the meantime, can be resold multiple times. According to Nike, this makes the Vault NFTs a separate product and not a digital receipt.

However this case shakes out, it could have far-reaching implications for how an NFT is actually defined and whether NFTs in the resale market would be considered trademark infringement.

LG is catching up with Samsung in “lifestyle” TV land, adding a new model to its LG OLED Objet Collection that launched last year. The new Posé is a slimline take on Samsung’s Serif; it comes in 42-inch, 48-inch, and 55-inch screen sizes and launches in the third quarter of 2022, starting in Europe.

The Posé joins the 65-inch Easel that was announced at CES (then called the Objet), which is designed to look like an art easel and has a sliding fabric cover to conceal the screen. Both can display artwork or photos when not in use.

But what is a lifestyle TV? Why is there a premium for a TV to look good in our homes? “Looks nice when in the middle of my living room” seems like a key consideration when buying a TV just as it is when you buy a couch. Of course, that’s along with the other essential specs; bigger than my neighbor’s, better sound, excellent picture quality, and doesn’t require me to take out a loan to pay for it. But instead, TV manufacturers have convinced us that a giant black rectangle in the middle of our home is the norm.

Whether you like the look of the Posé or the Easel, neither of which I would put in my home, the popularity of Samsung’s The Frame TV, which turns the black rectangle into a convincing-looking piece of art when not in use (and I do have in my home), makes it clear there is an appetite for good design. But current options are either costly or sacrifice some of the features you want in a TV.

Image: LG

While there is no pricing on them yet, both of LG’s new lifestyle televisions have the OLED evo technology used in the company’s premium models, so they’ll likely be expensive. The company’s 65-inch LG G2 Gallery Edition is $3,200, over $2,000 more than Samsung’s 65-inch The Frame, which opts for a cheaper display than Samsung’s higher-end models. The Frame also sacrifices features like local dimming, while you pay around a 30 percent premium for design-centric stuff, such as flush mounting and having all the wires and connections hidden.

The Posé is the smaller, thus likely cheaper, of the two new LG options. The TV free stands in your living room, much like the Serif. But it’s more slimline than Samsung’s option, which has a thicker frame around it that can double as a shelf. The Posé has LG’s Gallery Mode for displaying artwork or photos on its self-lit digital canvas, similar to The Frame’s picture-showing capabilities. It also has an “effective cable management system” to minimize clutter. However, we assume there is a wire somewhere, not that LG has developed a wireless power option, as the press image suggests.

LG is showcasing its two new arty televisions at Salone dei Tessuti during Milan Design Week, which hints toward its target audience. But lifestyle TVs shouldn’t only be aspirational. TV manufacturing has long been a game of follow the leader, and there are hundreds of budget options that provide much of what the higher-end brands do. But there’s still only a handful of models that try to fit into your home like a piece of furniture or art and aren’t just ugly black rectangles. It’s 2022, way past time for all TV manufacturers to step up and give us more affordable better-looking choices for the largest screen in our homes.

Nike isn’t the only sneaker company thinking about accessible shoe design. Reebok announced it’s partnering with Zappos to launch its first adaptive footwear collection, called Fit to Fit. The collection features two sneakers that are designed for easy entry and exit for people with disabilities.

The shoes were designed in collaboration with Zappos Adaptive — the e-commerce site’s vertical that acts as a shopping hub for accessible shoes, clothing, and accessories. The $90 Nanoflex Parafit TR are trainers that feature a mesh upper, side zipper, and heel pull tab. Meanwhile, the $65 Club MEMT Parafit are lifestyle sneakers with an extra 4E wide fit, side zipper, and leather upper. Both shoes feature high-abrasion rubber outsoles for better traction, lace closures, and removable sock liners for orthotics. Reebok also says the shoes are low-cut for better mobility.

The idea behind including both the lace closure and zipper is that you can do up the laces once to adjust fit. Then, you can just use the zipper going forward to get in and out of the shoe. The zippers also include pull tabs so they’re easier to use. The shoes come in unisex sizing and can be bought in singles or pairs.

The shoes are available on both Reebok and Zappos’ websites in multiple colorways and sizes. Starting today, you can also get 2022 Special Olympics USA versions of the Nanoflex Parafit TR. For folks looking to buy single shoes, that option will exclusively be sold on Zappos, but the companies didn’t give concrete timing. Just that it would be “soon.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen accessible sneaker designs in recent years. Nike made a splash in 2021 when it introduced the Go FlyEase, which were hands-free sneakers featuring a bistable hinge. Those sneakers sparked controversy, however, as Nike only had a limited number available in stock. That, in turn, led people with disabilities to be unable to easily buy the shoe as resellers snapped them up and sold them at a high markup.

We’ll have to see how Reebok handles availability. Hopefully, hypebeasts don’t wreck this for the communities that could genuinely benefit from Reebok’s design. That said, it’s still an encouraging sign to see more companies create adaptive footwear that benefits everyone.

Nike’s Go Flyease sneakers are back in stock. Normally, sneaker restocks are something you don’t expect anyone other than hypebeasts to get excited about, but it’s a bit different with Nike’s hands-free shoes. While praised for its accessible design, the $120 Go FlyEase has also been notoriously hard to find for the people who would benefit from them the most.

The Go FlyEase made a splash when it was first introduced thanks to its bistable hinge. The design allows the shoe to switch between an “open” and “closed” position, making it possible for someone to simply step into the shoe without having to use their hands. The issue was Nike didn’t handle the launch well. A combination of limited availability and hype led to resale sites marking up prices to over $400 from the original $120 price tag. Those with limited mobility shared their difficulties finding the shoes on social media, which then led to Nike being accused of using accessibility as a marketing scheme.

It doesn’t help that new versions of FlyEase tech tend to also be limited editions — if they’re even available to the average consumer at all. For the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, Nike designed the ACG Gaiadome FlyEase Boot for Team USA. The boot could be put on one-handed and was designed for those who may have limited dexterity. However, while the rest of the Team USA gear was available for purchase, the FlyEase boot was an athlete exclusive.

Screenshot: Victoria Song / The Verge

Given that context, it’s good to see that shoes are finally back in stock — though there’s no indication of just how much stock there is. As of this writing, some sizes and colorways have already sold out.

Nike’s page explicitly describes the Go FlyEase as “great for people with limited mobility seeking ease of entry,” so there’s no denying who the target audience is. As Nike also notes, the shoes are also a good option for people who needs a quicker way to take shoes on or off. That’s because inclusive design generally benefits everyone. Hopefully, resellers don’t ruin it for the folks who genuinely need accessible shoes — and Nike continues to expand availability going forward.

Legendary artist John Harris is best-known for his almost ethereal paintings of science fiction landscapes — and soon, there will be a new collection of his work for fans to dig into. Titan Books has announced The Art of John Harris II: Into the Blue, a hardcover book curating decades of work from the 73-year-old painter. The new collection will focus on his more futuristic paintings, as well as give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how certain projects went from sketch to completed work.

Some of Harris’ most iconic work includes book covers for the likes of Isaac Asimov to Jack Vance. And despite having a very distinct and surreal style — he says ideas come to him through meditation and lucid dreaming — Harris previously told The Verge that he doesn’t consciously paint a specific way.

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

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  John Harris work featured in 2014’s Beyond the Horizon.
  
  
  Image: Titan Books
  

“It always puzzles me when this issue of style comes up because I don’t consciously have a style,” he explains. “This is not being disingenuous. I simply try to paint what is in my mind’s eye. If people recognize my style, maybe what they are seeing is simply a feeling or vision that is personal to me. Maybe that is why it appears to withstand fashion — because it isn’t a fashion.” (Harris previously released a collection with Titan called Beyond the Horizon in 2014.)

Into the Blue will be available on October 11th, 2022. You can check out a selection of his work from Beyond the Horizon in the gallery above and get a glimpse at the new collection’s cover below.

Image: Titan Books