Dutch court bans Lidl from selling copycat Birkenstock sandals

A Dutch court has ruled that Lidl must stop selling copycat Birkenstock sandals across the Netherlands. The decision covers the Arizona, Madrid, Gizeh, Boston and Florida models.

Lidl faces a €5,000 fine for each day it fails to comply. The chain must also provide Birkenstock with sales data, compensate the company and pay its legal costs; those amounts will be set in separate decisions.

The ruling can be appealed

The court found that Lidl infringed Birkenstock’s trademark covering the sandal’s footbed design. The ruling remains subject to appeal, and Lidl has not commented to the BBC.

Birkenstock said it would continue to defend its rights using all available legal means and challenge products that imitate its designs.

Other design cases

In November 2025, a Dutch court barred retailer Scapino from selling similar sandals; that judgment is being appealed. In December 2025, Europe’s highest court ruled that everyday commercial products can qualify for copyright protection when they reflect creative design choices.

Birkenstock suffered a setback in Germany in early 2025, when the country’s highest court classified its sandals as practical products rather than works of art. The company called that decision a “missed opportunity”.

Other fashion brands have also taken mass retailers to court over alleged design copying. They include Dr. Martens, while Christian Louboutin spent years defending its signature red soles in litigation.