Why did Puma file a lawsuit against Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red? Real reason explored

Puma recently filed a lawsuit against Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red logo. The German conglomerate has alleged Sun Day Red of having a too similar logo to its long-standing design of "leaping cat" from 1969. The apparel and footwear brand has filed a complaint to stop the TaylorMade-owned golf brand from using it.

Sun Day Red was launched in collaboration between Tiger Woods and TaylorMade Golf in February 2024. The name was kept to honor Woods' iconic red shirts during the final rounds of golf tournaments. The lifestyle apparel and footwear brand has a "leaping tiger" with 15 stripes in reference to Woods' 15 Major championship wins.

As both Puma and Sun Day Red logos have a 'leaping cat', Puma said in the filing:

"Due to the confusing similarity of the marks and the identical, legally identical, or closely related nature of the goods and services of the parties, consumer confusion is likely between the Challenged Marks and the Leaping Cat logo."

In a statement to CNBC, TaylorMade has shown confidence in its logo, saying:

"We feel very confident in our trademarks and logos."

While talking to CNBC, trademark attorney Josh Gerben described Puma's challenge as "significant" for Sun Day Red. He said:

"This is a real fight. Any time you have open litigation you can lose. I think Puma has a legitimate case."

As per Gerben, the case is expected to go to trial by September 2026. Earlier, Tigeraire also filed a lawsuit against Sun Day Red over its logo.

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Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red drops new $275 shoe in 'limited quantity'

Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red has dropped new shoes i.e., Pioneer Cypress LE through a post on social media. The latest shoe apparel addition comes after the brand launched its inaugural golf shoe, the Pioneer Cypress, in December.

The new shoe is available in two sets of colors, Black/Red and White/Red. The black/red combination has a black leather upper with subtle red accents around the shoe while the white/red combination has a white leather upper with red details.

Sun Day Red explained the distinction between their previously released Pioneer Cypress and Pioneer Cypress LE on X, writing:

"A signature spin on a classic shoe. The Pioneer Cypress LE is identical in construction and performance to the Pioneer Cypress, but features red accents and design details. Only limited quantities remain - get yours before they're gone"

Pioneer Cypress shoes are $250 and available in three color combinations, White/Silver, Black/Silver, and Gray/Navy. The LE edition of the shoes is $25 higher at $275. Like the earlier shoes, the insoles have motivational phrases like "Put in the time." The shoe description on the website states:

"A golf shoe 40,000,000 steps in the making, built from the ground up with Tiger. Available in two Limited Edition colorways."

The shoes boast a waterproof full-grain leather upper, calf-skin leather lining, and a proprietary EVA midsole.