Eilonwy

This is an excerpt of an article from the Daily Mail. The parts I left out are either about a different shoe design or unnecessary stock images added for padding. The rest of this post is the article.


'How would a Jewish person feel if you put a swastika on a shoe?' Adidas under fire for unveiling new trainer with orange 'shackles' like those worn by black slaves

• JS Roundhouse Mids have bright 'shackles' that fit around wearer's ankles
• Many have compared devices to those worn by black slaves in America
• 2,000 label design 'offensive, ignorant' and say Adidas 'sunk to new lows'

Adidas has come under fire for creating a pair of trainers with ‘shackles’.

Critics have compared the ‘JS Roundhouse Mids’, to be released in August, to the chains worn by black slaves in the 19th century.

The firm unveiled the trainers on its Facebook page. They feature plastic orange ‘shackles’ attached to the ankles by chains in the same colour.

The shoes have sparked an angry debate online. More than 2,000 Facebook users have commented, with many calling the design ‘offensive’ and ‘ignorant’, saying the firm has ‘sunk to new lows’ with its ‘slavewear’ product.




Outrage: Adidas has sparked anger and been accused of 'promoting slavery' by creating a new pair of trainers which have bright orange 'shackles' that fit around the wearer's ankles



One, ‘Kay Tee’, said: ‘It’s offensive and inappropriate in many ways… How would a Jewish person feel if they decided to have a shoe with a swastika on it and tried to claim it was OK in the name of fashion?’

Dr Boyce Watkins, writing for Your Black World, said: 'Shackles. The stuff that our ancestors wore for 400 years while experiencing the most horrific atrocities imaginable.

'Most of which were never documented in the history books and kept away from you in the educational system, all so you'd be willing to put shackles on your ankles today and not be so sensitive about it.'

The Professor at Syracuse University said he accepted some people would accuse him of overreacting.

But he added: 'There is always a group of negroes who are more than happy to resubmit themselves to slavery.

'I'm offended by these shoes as there is nothing funny about the prison industrial complex, which is the most genocidal thing to happen to the black family since slavery itself.'

Others have likened the shoes' orange 'bracelets' to the shackles worn by prisoners across the America, or said the firm is 'promoting slavery'.

Kay Tee added: 'Regardless if the company was saying the shoes are so hot you have to chain them to you, or they were capitalising on the whole prison style popularity.

'But corporate business has a social responsibility above all to consider these perceptions before releasing a product like this.'

Adidas has not yet commented.

Rimi

Heard this on the radio yesterday. It's simply absurd. For the sake of time, I didn't read your entire post, but I do know that Adidas has said that they will not be selling the shoes.

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Eilonwy

What exactly do you find absurd? I couldn't tell from your post.

As a general question for anyone, I'm wondering if you think the shackles on these shoes are similar to a Nazi swastika (not traditional use of the symbol to represent good luck). Are the shackles a symbol of hatred per se, or are they offensive because of the context of slavery and the ongoing disproportionate imprisonment of Black men?

spiderlashes5000

No, they're not similar to swastikas per se...but painful cultural relics/images for a certain group of people(who, in this case, disproprortionately consume merchandise in this product category).

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09robiha

Just Addidas proving you can go to far trying to prove your cool....

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claudine19

Assinine.

I wish I had still had my old Adidas from the 1970s. They were green and white.

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spiderlashes5000

Stan Smith?

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Josephine

I don't understand why they did it. Is it for shock value? I love Adidas too.

curlylaura

Oh dear.

That said, I can see 'celebs' like Justin Beiber wearing them for shock value.

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Eilonwy

Does Beiber do things for shock value? I thought his whole deal was being a non-threatening crush for 12yo girls.

luvmylocs

as a fitness instructor i love adidas clothing, it's some of my best fitting stuff! i just bought a pair of black adidas high tops to work out in. then i saw this last night....as charles barkley would say, "it's terrible"...

this isn't cool, cute or even functional. basketball players what to jump HIGH, why would shackles be anything that adidas would think a player would want to associate with basketball shoes. shackles are not identified in any way with sports or even fashion attire. when i think shackles i think slavery (could be any kind of slavery) or torture. why would adidas want to associate with that?

i think the designer might not have understood the deep history of slavery and the heavy symbolism of shackles (if they weren't designed in america) but i do wonder what kind of checks and balances are in place over there if this got so far as a prototype and release date and nobody said "hey, would this be offensive to a large population of people because of something that is being added to an athletic shoe that inherently reminds people of slavery?"

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iroc

I chuckled, but at the ridiculousness and absurdity of it.

I'm fairly sure the shackles are representing prisoners, not specifically slavery. Nazis and white supremicists are the only group to use swastikas. Slave traders are not the only group to have used shackles.

Maybe its some reference to being 'shackled' or imprisoned by your sneakers, since for some reason our culture is obsessed with them.

To automatically assume that they're referencing slavery is a bit of a jump. But I do think they're pretty obnoxious.

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curlylaura

Good point. He was the first name to come mind and a crap example at that. A 'celebrity' will still wear them.

Justin is like the male Britney, he'll rebel at some point.

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CGNYC

When I saw the first picture I thought oh, ffs. I get it. You work out. Chained to your sneakers, ha ha ha, now shut up about it

I just THOUGHT I was tired of looking at pictures of people's food, I'm totally over getting updates on their workouts.

midgi

Maybe people are referencing the swastika because Adidas is a German company???

I think it's a stupid idea and the shoes aren't even cool looking-- they're hids.

TBH, I can't think of any black men who would wear them (unless they're Lakers fans or something), but they are most likely the consumer being targeted in this case. If so, the shackles --> prison/slavery concept isn't so far-fetched.

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NetG

My first thought was S&M, not slavery. But I can certainly see why people WOULD think slavery, particularly given the demographics of the target market and the overused phrase "a slave to fashion."


Certainly, that link is reason enough to not sell it. But really, why would we even NEED this discussion? Those things are hideous and even if everyone involved is clueless about racial issues, can't they tell that?

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Rimi

The idea that anyone would willingly walk around with faux shackles on as a fashion statement. I find that absurd.

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Springcurl

My first thought was prison not slavery. Either way they're ridiculously stupid and they'll probably be worn by the ridiculously stupid.

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Sambokaa

The actual design of it is what bothers me. The whole shackles idea i think is quite original and cool if they can design it in a way that is attractive. I know that our ancestors wore shackles ect ect but it IS in the past and we should be accepting what happened because we cant change history so why let it take over our future an especially over trainers its a little overrated. But the whole idea i like and it may be successful if designed and created beautifully.

Eilonwy

Is that because the shoes look yellow and purple to you? That's interesting, because they're orange and indigo on my monitor.