Lidl banned from selling copycat Birkenstock sandals, Dutch court rules
Lidl must also compensate Birkenstock and pay its legal fees, according to the court ruling
Lidl barred from selling Birkenstock lookalike sandals, Dutch court says
A Dutch court has ruled that Lidl must stop selling imitation versions of Birkenstock’s well-known sandals in the Netherlands.
If the discount supermarket chain does not comply, it faces a penalty of €5,000 (£4,200) for each day it continues, and it must also provide Birkenstock with sales data, according to the ruling.
Lidl is also required to compensate Birkenstock and cover its legal costs, with the exact amount to be determined in separate court rulings.
Birkenstock said the decision sent a clear signal that “copycats must not be allowed to free-ride on [our] creativity and innovation”.
The ruling, which can still be appealed, means Lidl is prohibited from selling its copycat versions of Birkenstock’s Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston, and Florida models anywhere in the Netherlands, after the court found the discount grocer had infringed the brand’s trademark “footbed design”.
It is the latest in a series of court rulings involving Birkenstock designs.
In November 2025, a Dutch court order prevented retailer Scapino from selling similar lookalikes in a case that is being appealed.
Then in December 2025, Europe’s top court ruled that everyday commercial products can be protected by copyright if they reflect creative design choices, a decision Birkenstock said was relevant to its “iconic” sandals.
But Birkenstock also suffered a setback in Germany’s highest court in early 2025.
The sandals may have been stylish enough for Margot Robbie to wear in the Barbie film, but German judges ruled they were practical products rather than works of art — an outcome Birkenstock described at the time as a “missed opportunity”.
After Wednesday’s ruling, Birkenstock said it will “continue to defend its rights vigorously and will use all available legal means to combat imitations of its iconic products”.
“To protect its retail partners and consumers, Birkenstock will continue to take decisive action against copycats seeking to profit from the company’s creative ideas and innovations,” it added.
Birkenstock is far from the only fashion brand involved in disputes with mass retailers over design imitation.
Footwear giants such as Dr. Martens have repeatedly taken online big-box sellers to court over boot designs, while luxury label Christian Louboutin spent years in global litigation defending its signature red soles against high-street copycats.