Also keep in mind if the opinion is the work is a blatant rip-off -- even if technically non-infringing -- does it work for branding, promotion?
Does the reputation of being a rip-off work when you're looking for vendors of promotion partners? If the work becomes known as a blatant rip-off, even if that discovery happens later, then that becomes the branding ...not whatever good associations there are for the original source.
Copying is like a hidden trap which has the potential to destroy marketing.
Once you think through what you're doing and what the objective is, copying isn't the quick fix it seems to be. Would you actually buy the shirt above? If you're a startup seeking funding, and all anyone can do when seeing this logo is think "rip-off," does that work for your objective? If you're in any kind of client meeting and someone hands you a business card or stationery with that logo on it, do you think about the company -- or Adidas? Are you thinking this is an honest company using this logo, or someone you're going to have to watch like a hawk?
Finally what if everybody does this? You may find you
blend right into the background of even worse
disappear altogether.