Track star Abby Steiner sues Puma over shoes she says ended her career
Track star Abby Steiner sues Puma over shoes she says ended her career
Anna Lynn Winfrey, Columbus Dispatch Wed, April 29, 2026 at 10:35 AM UTC
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US track and field athlete Abby Steiner is suing Puma and the Mercedes Formula 1 team over a shoe design that she says permanently injured her feet and ended her competitive career.
Attorneys representing Steiner, 26, of Dublin, Ohio, filed a product liability lawsuit April 14 in a Massachusetts court.
Although Puma and Mercedes marketed Steiner’s running shoes as innovative, safe, and effective for elite athletes, the complaint alleges the mechanism of the shoe changed how the stress of running affected the rest of the body.
The complaint states that Puma and Mercedes knew that the shoes could cause bone stress injuries, increase the likelihood of foot injuries, and result in increased strain.
Steiner said she started wearing Puma’s shoes in September 2022 for training and competition. Because of the improperly manufactured shoes, the suit contends she developed “severe and permanent injuries resulting in multiple surgeries, rehabilitations and recovery” that ended her competitive career, including competing for the Olympics.
A 2018 graduate of Dublin Coffman High School, where she ran in track and field and also played soccer, Steiner holds the NCAA record for the 200-meter sprint and the U.S. indoor record for the 200- and 300-meter races.
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Abby Steiner running in a qualifying heat of the women's 200m during the World Athletic Championships in Eugene, OR on July 19, 2022.
Steiner is seeking damages, in an amount to be determined at a trial, for physical and emotional injury, medical expenses, lost revenue from sponsorships, and the loss of full enjoyment of life.
The Mercedes Formula 1 team is named in the lawsuit because the company was also involved in the design and sale of Puma footwear, according to the complaint.
As of April 28, none of the named defendants have filed a response or attorney appearance with the court. A response is due by Aug. 24, according to the court’s website.
Representatives from Puma and the Mercedes Formula 1 team did not immediately respond to requests from The Dispatch for comment.
Abby Steiner poses after winning the women's 200m in 22.19 during the US Track and Field Grand Prix in New York on June 24, 2023.
According to the complaint, Steiner now lives in Columbia, South Carolina. Puma’s North American office is in the Boston area , which is why the lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts Superior Court.
Columbus Dispatch reporter Anna Lynn Winfrey can be reached at awinfrey@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: US track star Abby Steiner sues Puma, Mercedes, over shoes
Source: “AOL Sports”
