Full Breakdown
Abby Steiner Sues Puma and Mercedes-F1 Over Alleged Defective Footwear
4/30/2026, 3:13:01 AM
The Lawsuit and Allegations
On April 24 2024, former world-champion sprinter Abby Steiner filed a product-liability complaint in the Massachusetts Superior Court against Puma and the Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix (Mercedes Formula 1) team. The suit claims that Puma’s carbon-fiber-plate and NitroFoam shoes—including the *Deviate Nitro Elite 2*, *Deviate Nitro Elite 3* and *evoSPEED Tokyo Nitro* models—“altered the biomechanics of runners” and caused “severe and permanent injuries” that ended Steiner’s competitive career. She seeks more than $1.25 million in damages for medical costs, lost earnings and loss of enjoyment of life.
Background & Context
Steiner, a four-time NCAA champion at the University of Kentucky and two-time relay gold-medalist at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, signed a reported $2 million endorsement with Puma in July 2022. Beginning in 2023 she experienced recurring foot problems, underwent at least three surgeries (including procedures for Haglund’s deformity and bone-spur removal), and missed the 2023 World Championships. She finished sixth in the 200 m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, failing to qualify for Paris, and announced in August 2025 that she was stepping back to pursue a master’s in exercise science at the University of South Carolina.
Timeline of Key Events
- July 2022 – Steiner signs Puma contract.
- Sept 2022 – Begins wearing Puma spikes in training/competition.
- 2023 – First foot injury; surgery for bone spur.
- 2024 – Second heel surgery; competes at Olympic Trials (6th place).
- 2025 – Third foot surgery; posts Instagram update on lingering pain.
- Aug 2025 – Announces graduate-school enrollment, pauses running.
- Apr 24 2024 – Lawsuit filed in Massachusetts.
Data & Statistics
- 2 World-Championship relay golds (2022).
- 4 NCAA titles (200 m indoor/outdoor, 4×400 m).
- >=3 foot surgeries (2023-2025).
- $2 million sponsorship value.
- > $1.25 million damages sought.
Official Statements & Responses
- Puma: No comment at time of publication.
- Mercedes-F1: Declined to comment on the pending litigation.
- The complaint alleges Puma “knew…the shoes had defects…that made them unsafe, unreasonably dangerous, and capable of causing injury.”
Criticism & Opposition
Legal analysts note the broader controversy surrounding carbon-plate “super-shoes” and question whether the injuries stem solely from footwear design or from cumulative training loads. No independent medical expert has publicly challenged Steiner’s claims.
On-the-Ground Reports
Steiner’s own Instagram post read:
> “We threw essentially every single thing you can do for a foot at my symptoms, yet I was struggling big time. I was often limping around before & after my practices and getting through on sheer willpower to fulfill a lifelong dream.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Filing date: Some outlets cite April 14, others April 24.
- Damages sought: Figures range from “more than $1 million” to “$1.25 million.”
- Shoe models: Sources list three to five specific models.
- Number of surgeries: Reports vary between “at least three” and “multiple.”
- No defendant has filed an answer; response deadline is Aug 24 2024.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Plaintiff did not know, nor could or should she have reasonably known, that she had been harmed or may have been harmed by Defendants’ conducts,” — lawsuit.
- “alters the biomechanics of runners predisposing them to risk, injury and harm,” — complaint.
- “seriously injured by products designed, engineered, tested, developed, manufactured, advertised, marketed, promoted, imported, sold and distributed” — complaint.
- “The complaint alleges the mechanism of the shoe changed how the stress of running affected the rest of the body, and that Puma and Mercedes knew the shoes could cause bone stress injuries.” — complaint.
Why It Matters
The case could set precedent for product-liability claims against athletic-wear manufacturers and their engineering partners, potentially reshaping design standards for carbon-plate footwear used by elite and amateur runners alike.
What’s Next
Defendants must file a response by August 24 2024. If the case proceeds to trial, it may trigger broader regulatory scrutiny of “super-shoe” technologies and influence future endorsement contracts in track and field.
