WestVirginiaRebel Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 CNN: (CNN) -- German sports apparel maker Adidas has withdrawn its plans to sell a controversial sneaker featuring affixed rubber shackles after the company generated significant criticism when advertising the shoe on its Facebook page. The high-top sneakers, dubbed the JS Roundhouse Mids, were expected to be released in August, according to the Adidas Originals Facebook page. "Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?" a caption below a photo of the sneakers read. The June 14 post prompted plenty of criticism from around the Web, with many of those commenting saying they felt the shackle invoked the painful image of slavery. "Wow obviously there was no one of color in the room when the marketing/product team ok'd this," said a commenter, identifying herself as MsRodwell on nicekicks.com. "I literally froze up when I saw a new design from Adidas set to hit stores in August," Dr. Boyce Watkins said in a post for the website Your Black World. Though dismissing the criticism in a written statement by defending the sneaker's designer, Jeremy Scott, as having a "quirky" and "lighthearted" style, Adidas nonetheless said Monday that it planned to cancel the shoe's release. "The design of the JS Roundhouse Mid is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott's outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery," the statement said. "We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace." One of Adidas' most high-profile condemnations came from the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "The attempt to commercialize and make popular more than 200 years of human degradation, where blacks were considered three-fifths human by our Constitution is offensive, appalling and insensitive," he said in a statement Monday, before Adidas' decision to withdraw them from the marketplace. ________ Slave to the shoes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTexan Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I assume that the shackle shoes will be replaced with shoes tethered to nipple rings.. Now that would be a style statement! Gotta be trendy and hip no matter the cost or pain involved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickydog Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I thought the shackles were supposed to go with the prison look of the falling down pants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTexan Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 @nickydog You broke the code. Pants falling down because belts are not allowed in prison.... Then "do" rags fit in somehow... The chain shoes would be embraced if it were a grass roots idea. Just take a look at who sports "chain" license plate frames. What in the heck do you think that represents? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearvision Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 This had nothing to do with slavery and everything to do with hip-hop prison culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyM Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Why all the "outrage" from people of color?? They would have been the only ones buying those stupid shoes anyway. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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