Abby Steiner came on the scene as a professional athlete in the 2022 outdoor season. An exciting sprinter and brilliant relay runner, Abby did well at the Eugene World Championships, and then began several years of injuries, surgeries, and, quite frankly, a nightmare for an elite athlete.
PUMA signed Abby Steiner for her athletic prowess, but also for her appreciation by the sports social media community.
at The Armory Track
New York, NY
2023-02-11, photo by Kevin Morris
When I posted the archived piece below, Abby Steiner was a total rock star, and she set a record for the most downloads of a story, which she still holds. Abby Steiner was very popular with 14-22-year-olds around the world.
PUMA was obviously very excited about Abby Steiner.
However, signing athletes in sports marketing is, well, like gambling in a casino. Athletes get injured. Athletes get burned out. Some get over those injuries, some do not. The story of an athlete going from high school to college to professional almost always involves periods of injury. Abby Steiner was beset with times of injuries:
a. Double Haglund’s surgery, which means the removal of bone spurs from the back of Abby’s heels.
b. Surgery to repair an Achilles injury.
c. Several bone stress injuries.
The pain and discomfort forced Abby Steiner to pull out of the tune-up races for the 2024 Olympic Trials. Keen observers knew Abby Steiner faced a tough task: making the U.S. women’s sprint team at the 2024 Olympic Trials. Abby took sixth in the 200 meters, obviously missing the team. Abby was barely able to walk after the 4 races, and could not walk normally around her home for weeks.
Eugene, Oregon, USA
July15-26, 2022
200 meters, women, Steiner, USA, Kentucky, Puma, photo by Kevin Morris
In August 2025, on social media, Abby Steiner announced that, due to injuries, she was stepping back from elite athletics for an indefinite time and would focus on a Master’s degree in Exercise Science, hoping her body could heal. Healing, both physically and mentally, needs time.
I met Abby Steiner’s parents in 2022; they were overjoyed that their daughter had secured a PUMA sponsorship and that her dream of becoming an elite athlete was being fulfilled. PUMA, Abby Steiner, and her management all hoped for the best when this started, but, unfortunately, it just did not go Abby Steiner’s way.
On April 24, 2026, Abby Steiner filed a product liability lawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court. This was a high-profile case, suing PUMA North America, Inc. and Mercedez-Benz Grnad Prix Ltd., the company that owns the Mercedes F1 team. The claim is that PUMA’s Carbon Fiber Plate and Nitrofoam technology is “fundamentally defective, unsafe, and unreasonably dangerous.” Steiner is seeking $1.25 million for medical expenses, lost career earnings, emotional distress, and, in legal terms, ” the loss of full enjoyment of life and disfigurement.”
Case number 2681CVO1095 was filed in Middlesex County, Superior Court, Massachusetts.
This case will be closely watched by the running brand culture.
This is a serious case and has been played out quite deftly on social media. This was not good for PUMA nor Mercedes. In speaking with keen observers of the sport and legal experts in sports injury cases, the majority believe this will be settled before going to court. The legal responses are due by August 24, 2026.
There are just too many dangerous situations that could affect the running footwear business. Brands always try new technology to go faster, farther, and more efficiently. Injuries happen. However, carbon plate technology has been closely watched, and some medical professionals have expressed concern about the daily use of carbon-plated footwear by young athletes, including elite athletes.
It is a sad situation. Abby Steiner wanted to be an elite athlete. PUMA wanted Abby Steiner to succeed, as they would have had wonderufl benefits, of course. However, new technology needs to be tested, and some athletes and foot structures do not respond well to various innovations. This seems to be the case with Abby Steiner.
This writer is not sure that any footwear brand that considers Carbon Fiber plates or any new technology really wants a case like this to go before a jury. The chances of a big liability settlement, in court, in the records, are just not a smart precedent.
We will monitor the case, but we suspect it will be settled before going to court. Stay tuned.
July 14, 2022: PUMA signs Abby Steiner!
July 14, 2022: Abby Steiner, Exclusive Interview with Larry Eder
July 17, 2022: Abby Steiner replies via Twitter to the curiosity about her professional running contract.
