Is this clever or stupid?

It’s ugly!

I lean toward thinking it didn’t occur to the logo designer – in which case: stupid. I can’t imagine that anyone wanting to sell clothing would think is was a positive.

It’s fine and not similar aside from three images overlapping. There are many trademarks that are similar in that way…..watch the Olympics? Not stupid nor particularly clever.

Haha, no one in my area would confuse the two, as Ariat is horseshoes and we’re very familiar with the brand.
So I agree with @snipsnip, neither clever or stupid.

According to the link you provided—their ad reads:
Shop Boots And Apparel Directly From Ariat Today. Explore The Latest Styles On Ariat.com. The Performance Footwear And Clothing Brand With An Emphasis On Technology And Innovation.

Maybe the “horseshoes” represent the ass-kicking boots that they are selling and you’re going to need some fine looking clothing to compliment those boots. Either it’s the dumbest decision that I’ve ever seen or it is brilliant—I’m not sure which it is yet but can say that I’m not impressed

@SEKA Secretariat’s big heart [reportedly three times the size of the average TB] and competitive spirit were the motivations behind naming our company Ariat.” As for the three horseshoes that make up its logo? You guessed it. Each shoe represents one leg of the Triple Crown.

That is a GREAT movie!

@Dutchess_III Yes!! I would love to go see a real race someday.

They were the first ‘brand’ made especially for equestrians, head to toe.

I don’t see the connection. Two very different symbols shown here.

They’re superficially similar, but I don’t think one is an allusion to the other. I agree that the similarity is perhaps unfortunate, but they’re unrelated. Chances are it’s not going to interfere with sales.

The intertwined horseshoes are thoughtfully appealing to the 3 legged horse crowd, while the biohazard sign is ugly enough to accomplish its goal of scaring the shit out of anyone spotting it.