A ruling in the Netherlands adds to a growing set of European decisions on how far a shoe design can be protected from cheaper imitations.
A court in the Netherlands has ordered the discount supermarket chain Lidl to stop selling sandals that copy designs belonging to the German footwear brand Birkenstock.
Under the ruling, Lidl faces a penalty of 5,000 euros (about 4,200 British pounds) for each day it fails to comply. The chain must also hand over its sales figures to Birkenstock, pay compensation and cover Birkenstock's legal costs. The exact amounts will be settled in separate rulings, MyJoyOnline reports.
The order covers Lidl's versions of five Birkenstock models sold across the Netherlands: the Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston and Florida. The court found that Lidl had infringed Birkenstock's trademark over its "footbed design" \u2014 the contoured sole shape the brand is known for.
The decision can still be appealed.
What Birkenstock said
Birkenstock framed the outcome as a warning to imitators, saying "copycats must not be allowed to free-ride on [our] creativity and innovation".
The company added that it will "continue to defend its rights vigorously and will use all available legal means to combat imitations of its iconic products", and said it was acting to protect both its retail partners and shoppers.
The BBC, whose reporting the story draws on, said it had contacted Lidl for a response.
Part of a longer legal run
This is not Birkenstock's first courtroom fight over lookalikes.
In November 2025, another Dutch court stopped the retailer Scapino from selling similar sandals. That judgment is under appeal.
A month later, in December 2025, Europe's highest court ruled that ordinary commercial products can qualify for copyright protection where they reflect genuine creative design choices. Birkenstock said the ruling was relevant to its own sandals.
But the brand has not won everywhere. In early 2025, Germany's highest court decided the sandals were practical products rather than works of art \u2014 a result Birkenstock described at the time as a "missed opportunity". The brand enjoyed a pop-culture lift when Margot Robbie wore a pair in the Barbie film.
Birkenstock is also not alone in this kind of dispute. Dr. Martens has taken online mass retailers to court over boot designs, and the luxury label Christian Louboutin spent years in litigation around the world defending its trademark red soles.
Why it matters here
For Ghanaians shopping in Europe or the United States, or buying online from those markets, the case is a reminder that cheaper versions of well-known footwear can be pulled from shelves at short notice when a court rules against the seller.
It also shows how brands are increasingly using trademark and copyright law, rather than just marketing, to keep lower-priced imitations out of supermarkets and big-box stores.
