Nike Claims Adidas Copied Shoes Favored by LeBron, Ronaldo (1)

Nike Inc. is asking a U.S. trade agency to block imports of a wide range of Adidas AG Primeknit shoes, saying they copy the Oregon company’s patented inventions for a knitted fabric that reduces waste without any loss in performance.

The complaint, filed Wednesday at the International Trade Commission in Washington, seeks to ban imports of shoes, including Adidas by Stella McCartney Ultraboost, Pharrell Williams Superstar Primeknit Shoes and Terrex Free Hiker hiking shoes. Nike also filed a patent-infringement suit in federal court in Oregon making similar allegations.

The patents cover Nike’s FlyKnit technology, which uses specialized yarn from recycled ...