Dark clouds over the Adidas brand. The Ministry is outraged by the brand's new collection.
On August 4th, Adidas Originals and American fashion designer Willy Chavarria unveiled the Oaxaca Slip-On. Inspired by the huarache—a Mexican woven leather sandal—the shoe is expected to launch as part of a broader collaboration between the German brand and Chavarria. The designers haven't been able to avoid controversy, with officials in the Mexican state of Oaxaca accusing the brand of cultural appropriation.
The project created by an American designer with Mexican roots was presented on August 4 in Puerto Rico.
“I’m very proud to be working with a company that truly respects and promotes culture in the most authentic way,” Chavarria told Sneaker News at the launch.
His enthusiasm was not shared by officials from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, who accused the sportswear brand of cultural apparel. According to Euronews, the state's governor, Salomon Jara, accused the brand of "copying traditional sandals without asking permission or honoring their true creators in the community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag."
New Adidas flip-flops designed by Willy Chavarria / Adidas press materialsAs the governor emphasized in a video on Platform X, huaraches are not just a design concept, but something that refers to the "culture, history and identity of the indigenous Zapotec people."
The Oaxacan Ministry of Culture and Art became involved in the matter and asked the brand to suspend sales of the new shoe model, publicly acknowledge their origin, and investigate the complaint and attempt to establish further dialogue.
- The culture of indigenous peoples and communities is not a resource that can be exploited without respect and reciprocity - the ministry said in a statement quoted by the website.
Willy Chavarria / Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
