What were Adidas thinking making sneakers with slave like shackles?

[downtownrobbrown]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160977/Adidas-unveiling-new-trainer-orange-shackles-like-worn-black-slaves.html

Adidas has sparked outrage 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.
The clothing giant is under fire for its August scheduled release of the JS Roundhouse Mids, which many have compared to the devices worn by black slaves in 19th Century America.
The seemingly innocent promotional material, uploaded to Facebook earlier this month, asks: 'Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?'

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

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'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'.

Facebook user Kay Tee agreed, and said: 'It's offensive and inappropriate in many ways. Not to mention ugly.
'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.
'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?'
Adidas has been contacted by Mail Online, but has so far not commented on the claims.

It seems Adidas did not want to be outdone by fierce competitor Nike in the controversial shoe design stakes.

The firm apologised, saying it was an innocent name designed to chime with the often boozy celebrations for Ireland's patron saint.
To others, however, it was a historical affront reviving bitter memories of a British unit sent to Ireland to suppress revolt in the 1920s.

That is because the Black and Tans was the nickname given to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which became notorious for a brutal crackdown during the independence war.
One outraged Irish American claimed it was the equivalent of calling a shoe ???the Al Qaeda???.
The trainer is officially called the Nike SB Dunk Low, but has been nicknamed The Black and Tan for its colourings. An advertisement for the shoe says: ???Tis the season for Irish beer and why not celebrate with Nike.


???The Black and Tan sneaker takes inspiration for the fine balancing act of a stout on top a pale ale in a pint glass.???
Others Irish Americans criticised Nike for being ???oblivious??? to the historical connotation.

Six years ago ice cream firm Ben & Jerry???s caused a furore when it launched a Black and Tan flavour. The product was quickly withdrawn.
Athough only deployed from 1920 to 1922, nationalist Ireland still associates the Black and Tans with murder, brutality, massacre and indiscipline in the years leading to southern Ireland's independence

Historians say there is no dispute that 'the Tans' killed and destroyed on a large scale, and recorded that when a Tan was killed in Cork, they burnt down more than 300 buildings.
The Catholic cardinal of the day called them 'a horde of savages, some of them simply brigands, burglars and thieves'.

Huh?

 

[batmon]

INSTANT COLLECTABLE!!!!!

 

[Juan Cocktolstoy]

The shackles look like they're scented or something,. they have a very cheesy appearance to them. I think these shoes should never be worn, but displayed in a glass case for ridicule.

 

[Grandfather]

are these Django special edition sneakers?

 

[doisn]

 

[vintageinfants]

 

[damms]

promoting slavery

not to play devil's advocate here but you can unwear these at will right ?

 

[fishmongerfunk]

damms said:

promoting slavery

not to play devil's advocate here but you can unwear these at will right ?




more like "promoting faux outrage".





WON'T SOEMBODY THINK OF THIE CHILDREN!!!!

 

[vinegar]

are they avaible in other colors?

 

[TheKindCromang]

Ideal for those afraid of having their sneakers jacked

 

[Reynaldo]

I need to see a black dude wearing these before I can make a judgment.

 

[empanadamn]

vintageinfants said:

Definitely My Pet Monster-inspired. I don't think people understand that or are familiar with Jeremy Scott's past work. Regardless of how this is interpreted, I'm definitely not a fan of his work with adidas.

 

[meistromoco]

vintageinfants said:

first thing I thought of when I saw a pic of the adidas "shoes"

 

[Jimster]

crabmongerfunk said:WON'T SOEMBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!




WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CLANKING?





b/w





$20,000 for the Gold chain "Colorway".

 

[vintageinfants]

meistromoco said:vintageinfants said:

first thing I thought of when I saw a pic of the adidas "shoes"




to be fair, my pet monster is racist as fuck








:|

 

[Flomotion]

Shackles/fetters are still used in penal systems throughout the world but trust the Daily Mail to forge a connection to not just slavery but 'black slave' shackles. Hideous sneakers in any case ... the chains are pretty much the best part.

 

[edulus]

WE ARE ALL SLAVES TO GRAVITY

 

[downtownrobbrown]

edulus said:WE ARE ALL SLAVES TO GRAVITY




Good point!

 

[LaserWolf]

I thought this was an issue that only soulstrut could care about, then I heard it on the headlines news last night.

 

[dj_cityboy]

if they just removed the shackles, i think these are dope kicks, i like the overall design and colors as well, the shacklee have to go though....





i also just read that Adidas has cancelled these, its was bound to happen...





http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/18/us/adidas-shackle-shoes/index.html?hpt=hp_mid

(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.