Scandalous sneakers: how shoes can be offensive

It would seem that how can shoes be intolerant? However, it does happen. There are many such examples in the history of famous brands. Instagram-account Firstsoupe collected five of the most striking stories when sneakers turned out to be the subject of discrimination.

Jeremy Scott and adidas

Creative director of Moschino Jeremy Scott has repeatedly gotten into unpleasant situations related to racism. In 2012, for example, he partnered with Adidas to release the Jeremy Scott X Adidas Roundhouse Mid ‘Handcuff’ sneakers.

Many people did not appreciate Scott’s creativity. The fact is that sneakers with shackles on the ankles cause very unambiguous associations, especially among Americans. Under pressure from the public, the production of this model quickly stopped.

However, no sooner had this scandal faded, as just a year later Jeremy was at the center of another unflattering story. The fashion designer created a collection of sneakers referring to the culture of Native Americans – Jeremy Scott X Adidas Originals JS Totem. In the United States, cultural appropriation is a sore subject, and this issue is especially acute when it comes to the indigenous and black population. Of course, this situation too has not passed by the press and activists and has caused a lot of hype.

Pharrell Williams and adidas

Famous performer Pharrell Williams has collaborated with the Adidas brand many times, and in 2018, they released the Adidas X Pharrell Williams Originals ‘Hu Holi’ range. The collection was inspired by the sacred Indian festival of Holi. Despite being a colorful event that comes with a festival of colors, Holi is still a serious religious tradition.

Nevertheless, although the designers were accused of misrepresenting Hinduism, sneaker production continued and sales did not drop.

Colin Kapernick v. Nike

In 2019, Nike discontinued the popular Air Max 1 Quick Strike model in honor of US Independence Day. This was initiated by Colin Kapernick, a famous American soccer player.

In his opinion, the problem was that on the back of the sneaker, at the heel was depicted an early version of the flag of the United States. And that was the emblem used by the American Nazi Party. The athlete accused Nike of promoting discrimination – and many supported him.

Adidas and Black History Month

Every year in February, the U.S. and Canada celebrate Black History Month, a time to remember the history of African Americans and honor their role in the cultural and political development of the countries.

Black History Month also reminds people how important it is to fight racism and other manifestations of racial discrimination, be tolerant and respect the rights of every human being.

In 2019, Adidas decided to do its part in celebrating Black History Month. But for some reason, it chose a completely white design for the sneakers dedicated to the event. This quite expectedly provoked a heated discussion on social networks, as well as a wave of discontent from Americans.

Conservative New Balance

Despite the popularization of equality and tolerance, New Balance continues to maintain the image of a militarized brand that is worn “only by white people”. The company has tried to avoid LGBTQ themes and racial discrimination in every way possible.

The apogee of the brand’s conservative policy was its support of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Then New Balance spent $400,000 on election campaigning. Thus, the company became a kind of a symbol of Trump’s revolution, and the slogan “New Balance – shoes for white people” was firmly established in the history of the brand.

However, we must admit that now the brand is trying its best to get rid of the stigma of intolerance. For example, in 2020 they released “vegan sneakers” in collaboration with African-American actor and rapper Jaden Smith.