Herzogenaurach, Germany  - German sportswear maker Adidas said Wednesday it had initiated legal proceedings against US retailer Wal-Mart in relation to the selling of shoes bearing similar markings to the three-stripe Adidas trademark.

A spokeswoman for the company, which has its headquarters in Herzogenaurach in the southern German state of Bavaria, confirmed a report in Germany's Handelsblatt business daily, but refused to reveal details of the legal application.

Handelsblatt reported Wednesday the application had been made in Portland in the state of Oregon on the north-west coast of the United States, where Adidas has its US headquarter.

Hearings are to begin on October 6.

Handelsblatt reported Adidas had won a recent copyright case in Portland against shoe retailer Payless Shoesource, after the Payless began selling shoes with two, alternatively four, stripes.

The court awarded Adidas 305 million dollars in damages.

Handelsblatt predicted the damages in the current case could run to 326 million dollars.

Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer, while Adidas is second only to Nike in the sportswear and sports goods sector. (dpa)