The German sportswear company admitted its ‘Oaxaca slip-on’ was inspired by indigenous Mexican designs.
After the Prada-Kolhapuri debacle, German sportswear giant Adidas found itself on the receiving end of backlash for allegedly copying the design of the popular Mexican huarache sandals.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and officials from the state of Oaxaca, where sandals are produced, criticized Adidas over the past few days for copying its leather weave design for a new shoe without adequate credit.
Adidas and the designer of Oaxaca Slip-On shoe, Willy Chavarria, have finally apologized, according to a Reuters report on Monday.
“The ‘Oaxaca slip-on’ was inspired by a design from Oaxaca, rooted in the tradition of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag,” Adidas said in a statement to the publication.
“We offer a public apology and reaffirm our commitment to collaborate with Yalálag in a respectful dialogue that honours their cultural legacy.”
Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarria also issued an apology, admitting that the shoe was “not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community”.
The controversy comes roughly a month after Italian fashion house Prada faced backlash in India for a footwear bearing a strong resemblance to traditional Kolhapuri chappals.
Prada later said the footwear was “inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear with a centuries-old heritage,” and that it was open to a “meaningful exchange” with local Indian artisans.
On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment for Adidas’ U.S. over-the-counter shares, ADDYY, was ‘neutral,’ unchanged from the previous day. ADDYY stock is down 21.4% year-to-date.
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