FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Former Olympian and World Champion runners warn same carbon-plated shoes sold to athletes and joggers derailed their careers; raise broader questions about what athletes are told before trusting performance technology
BOSTON, MA — A high-performance shoe technology worn across the athletic spectrum from Olympic competitors to recreational runners is facing mounting scrutiny today as two more elite athletes allege that the Puma products marketed to make them faster are instead causing devastating injuries. The lawsuits raise urgent questions about whether millions of amateur athletes, high school competitors and everyday joggers face the same risks.
Olympian Damion Thomas Jr. and World Championship Gold Medalist Champion Allison filed lawsuits against Puma and Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd. alleging 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. The complaints follow a separate lawsuit filed by elite sprinter Abby Steiner and suggest these athletes may be among the first to identify a problem with a product now worn by everyone from professionals and high school athletes to members of local run clubs and recreational runners.
According to the complaints, Puma designed, manufactured and marketed shoes that used carbon fiber plate technology, NITROFOAM technology and other design features that changes how force moves through runner’s feet and lower legs. The lawsuits allege 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 including stress fractures, bone stress injuries, Achilles injuries and Haglund’s deformity.
“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 Champion Allison.
“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. 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 so many other athletes out there who still don’t know,” Olympian Damion Thomas Jr. said.
The emerging pattern spotlights what may be the hidden injury cost of the super-shoe revolution: products marketed to help people run faster may also be exposing them to devastating injuries that require extensive medical treatment, generating significant financial burdens and even permanently affecting quality of life in some cases. The lawsuits also force a broader conversation about whether competition among major sports brands to develop faster, high-performing footwear outpaced efforts to fully understand, evaluate and communicate potential injury risks before those products were promoted.
“These companies have prioritized the promise of speed over safety, and the consequences reach far beyond elite athletes,” said Peter J. Flowers, Partner at Meyers & Flowers, which represents Thomas and Allison, as well as Abby Steiner. “An Olympian or world champion has access to specialists, trainers and lawyers. A high school kid whose foot is hurting is going to the local urgent care, being told to take some time off, and never knowing why. We may be looking at tens of thousands of people who have been seriously hurt and have no idea what caused it.”
Thomas is a Tokyo Olympian and 2021 NCAA Champion in the 60-meter hurdles, a five-time NCAA All-American and the former U20 world record holder in the 110-meter hurdles. Allison is a World Champion, NCAA Champion and one of the fastest 400-meter runners in history, having clocked 43.70 seconds at the 2022 USA Championships, the tenth-fastest time ever recorded in the event, and anchored Team USA to gold in the 4×400 relay at the 2022 World Championships. According to their complaints, both athletes began wearing Puma footwear in 2022 and suffered injuries that cut short careers that had been on a clear trajectory toward the sports’ highest levels.
The lawsuits, filed in Massachusetts Superior Court, 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.
Thomas and Allison are represented by Meyers & Flowers, LLC. and Sugarman and Sugarman, P.C.
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About Meyers & Flowers
Led by Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer and former President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Peter J. Flowers, the Meyers & Flowers team of experienced trial attorneys routinely take on large challenges and succeed. For more than two decades, the firm has represented clients both locally in Chicago and nationally in a full spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, medical malpractice, workplace injuries and wrongful death.
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