For the last couple of NBA seasons, Joakim Noah, has been the heart of the Derrick Rose-less Chicago Bulls. When he’s playing at, or near his best, he is literally unstoppable…Well almost.
His bouts with plantar fasciitis are well known, but for the first time it’s being reported that Noah’s foot issues may have been caused by sneakers he’d been playing in since 2007.
According to TMZ, Noah has filed a lawsiut against French shoemaker and former sponsor, Le Coq Sportif; claiming they have failed to pay him $1.65 million dollars of a $6 million dollar, six year agreement, signed in 2007. He’s also claiming that their poorly designed sneakers have contributed to the damage in his feet. The pain from the plantar fasciitis forced him to miss several games during the Bulls’ 2012-2013 season, as well as key games in the playoffs. According to the report:
Noah says despite the negative energy, he held up his end of the bargain — and wore Le Coq shoes in every NBA game he played even though he claims they were “not well designed and likely contributed to [my] development of plantar fasciitis.”
Le Coq Sportif, in turn, filed a counterclaim against Noah. Although it’s not clear what the grounds of their counter-suit was, it appears to have been settled because both sides dropped their cases simultaneously in March.
Below, is a photo of the shoe Noah has been wearing. What do you think? To me, they look like attire more suited for a Saturday night on the town, rather than competing in an NBA game.
It seems that Joakim agrees.
