Nike scheduled a sneaker drop for 7/11 in 7-Eleven's own colours — and got sued for it

In July 2026, Nike scheduled the release of an Air Max 95 'Big Bubble' colourway in orange, green and red stripes for 11 July — 7-Eleven's own promotional holiday, marked every year by free Slurpees. The shoe's insole carried a convenience-store shelf pattern and its marketing referenced a 'corner store' theme.

7-Eleven filed suit against Nike in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, arguing the shoe was a 'confusingly similar imitation' of its Tri-Color Mark — the orange-green-red combination it has used since at least 1987 (and traces to well before). The complaint pointed to the release date itself as evidence of intent: choosing 7/11 for a shoe in those exact three colours was not a coincidence 7-Eleven was willing to read as one.

7-Eleven's complaint noted that online listings and social posts were already calling the shoe 'the 7-Eleven sneaker' before the lawsuit — a sign, it argued, that consumer confusion was not hypothetical but observed. It sought a permanent injunction, a recall and destruction of unsold pairs, disgorgement of Nike's profits, and treble damages.