Trump sneaker line sues over knockoffs days after Lauren Boebert brags about her ‘very China’ counterfeit pair

The company behind Donald Trump’s line of gold high-top sneakers has filed a lawsuit alleging trademark and copyright infringement against a number of retailers it accuses of marketing and selling knockoff versions of the shoes online.

Attorneys for 45Footwear LLC filed the suit in Arizona on Monday but declined to name the defendants, saying they would do so in a forthcoming filing, according to NBC News. They did say those accused are individuals and businesses based outside of the United States but using websites hosted domestically, who had been traced with the help of a specialist online fraud investigator.

The real Trump has never actually been pictured wearing his signature sneakers, although MAGA congresswoman Lauren Boebert did sport a pair at her victory party in Windsor, Colorado, last week after winning her Republican primary in the state’s 4th congressional district, showing them off to reporters with “pageant queen energy,” according to The Independent’s John Bowden.

However, Boebert did later admit that her pair were fakes, telling a reporter for the Denver-based outlet Westword: “These are very China, but I’m OK with that. If I could’ve bought the OGs I would have.”

In its filing, the sneaker company asked the federal court to prohibit the illicit reproduction, sale, and advertising of replica versions of its shoes and is asking the defendants to turn over “any and all profits” earned from their ventures so far.

Alternatively, the plaintiffs are asking the court to award them $2 million for “each and every use” of their counterfeited mark by each defendant and $25,000 for every copyright violation.

The Republican presidential candidate first unveiled his “Never Surrender” shoes to much fanfare at Sneaker