Abby Steiner, the Dublin-born sprint standout and two-time world champion, has filed a product-liability lawsuit claiming that Puma shoes and a Mercedes-linked spike design left her with repeated foot injuries, multiple surgeries and a top-level career now stuck in neutral. The complaint says the damage is so severe she can no longer compete at the professional or Olympic level. The case was filed in Massachusetts state court this month.
What the lawsuit says
In the complaint, Steiner alleges Puma’s carbon-plated, Nitro-foam footwear, along with spikes developed with Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix, were “defective” and altered her foot and ankle mechanics in ways that increased her risk of bone-stress and other injuries, according to Front Office Sports. The suit lists specific Puma models by name and seeks compensation for medical bills, lost sponsorship income and other damages. It accuses the defendants of negligent products liability, design and manufacturing defects, failure to warn and breaches of warranty.
Steiner's injuries and local timeline
Steiner signed with Puma in mid-2022 and began experiencing foot problems in 2023 that led to multiple procedures and time away from competition, reporting and the lawsuit say, per The Columbus Dispatch. She finished sixth in the 200 meters at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials and in August 2025 announced she was taking a step back from pro racing while pursuing graduate studies; local reporting and Steiner's posts place her in Columbia, South Carolina and enrolled in a master’s program. The complaint says further surgeries through 2025 did not restore her to full competitive form, prompting the legal filing.
How the shoes are said to work
The complaint centers on features that have defined the latest performance-shoe boom: curved carbon-fiber plates and high-energy midsole foams that change bending stiffness and loading at the foot. Peer-reviewed research shows advanced, carbon-plate footwear can alter strike patterns and reduce some mechanical loads, but experts remain divided about whether those changes heighten risk for particular bone-stress injuries in certain athletes; see the biomechanical analysis in Scientific Reports and explanatory coverage in Live Science for background.
Legal claims and next steps
The filing advances traditional product-liability causes of action, including negligent products liability, manufacturing and design defects, failure to warn and breach of warranty, and asks a judge or jury to award damages for past, present and future medical care, lost earnings and non-economic harms. Front Office Sports and legal outlets report the case was lodged in Massachusetts Superior Court and specifically names Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix because of its role in spike design.
Responses and what to watch next
Puma and Mercedes did not immediately respond to requests for comment, local reporting noted, and no attorney appearance had been entered on the docket as of the initial coverage. The Columbus Dispatch says a procedural response deadline on the case will set the schedule for early motions and any settlement talks. Observers say the litigation will turn on whether the complaint can link particular shoe components to the specific medical diagnoses in Steiner’s records.
Steiner, a Dublin Coffman High School graduate and former Kentucky standout who holds U.S. indoor marks in the 200- and 300-meter events, is pursuing graduate study while the case moves through court. The suit is likely to draw close interest from athletes, coaches and footwear companies as it tests where performance innovation ends and consumer safety begins.
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