Nike accuses former shoe designers of taking secrets to Adidas

The company logo of Nike is shown at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 21, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Blake

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nike Inc is accusing three of its former senior shoe designers of stealing its commercial secrets and making off for German rival Adidas AG, which announced in September the trio would staff its new urban footwear design studio in Brooklyn.

A lawsuit filed in Oregon where Nike is headquartered claims at least $10 million in damages. The world's largest sportswear maker said the former designers, Marc Dolce, Mark Miner, and senior design director Denis Dekovic, started consulting for Adidas while still working at the company, violating their non-compete agreements.