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Adidas' Shackle Sneakers: Offensive Reference to Slavery, or Just 'Quirky'?

SodaHead Living 2012/06/19 17:00:00
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Adidas has dropped plans to release a pair of "shackle" sneakers after critics bashed the brand for being insensitive to a painful reminder of slavery, CNN reports. The outrage began on June 14, when Adidas began advertising the $350 high-top sneakers, called JS Roundhouse Mids, on its Facebook page.

adidas shackle sneakers

"Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?" said a caption below a photo of the sneakers. Adidas defended the sneaker's designer, Jeremy Scott, as having a "quirky" and "lighthearted" style, but plans for an August release have been scuttled.

"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 company said in a statement. "We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace."

Rev. Jesse Jackson, for one, was offended by the rubber shackles. "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. Do you agree?
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Top Opinion

  • Wulfdane 2012/06/19 19:21:05 (edited)
    Quirky
    Wulfdane
    +25
    Quirky and stupid, but not offensive.

    This attributing everything to slavery, is even more ignorant than those shoes.

    We have become a nation of self-victimization, where everyone wants to be a victim.

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Opinions

  • Jacker ... BlairCat 2012/06/20 20:37:38
    Jacker The Capper
    Zombie costume!
  • perez09 2012/06/19 23:16:06
    Quirky
    perez09
    +1
    Its not directed toward slavery and I agree it should never be forgotten we learn and grow from our past mistakes, but this is just another case of everyone today looking for a way to play the victim.
  • GrumpyCat 2012/06/19 22:58:51
    Quirky
    GrumpyCat
    +2
    This would be a great design if the shackles actually had weight to them to add more resistance to your jog.
  • Shaan Xi 2012/06/19 22:58:46
    Quirky
    Shaan Xi
    +1
    Who's got that much money to throw away on shoes? Not me!
  • Avisobling 2012/06/19 22:57:12
    Quirky
    Avisobling
    Don't want to sound racist but what group of people do you think would buy the hell out of these
  • Willski 2012/06/19 22:15:47
    Quirky
    Willski
    +2
    Obviously not meant as offensive. What rational reason would there be to do that?
    People are just trying to be offended, when they're like that they'll always find someone to say is oppressing them.
  • Epistemically Justified -- BN7 2012/06/19 22:12:45
    Quirky
    Epistemically Justified -- BN7
    +5
    "...painful reminder of slavery..." ?????

    Sorry, I didn't realize that so many living Americans still had STRONG EMOTIONAL memories of their years as slaves. /rolls eyes

    It's a reach for anyone to see brightly colored, obnoxious ankle cuffs and think about plantation-era slavery. I see these and think about prison/ prisoners. I don't think the look is attractive, but neither do I think it's meant to be a racist dig. People here are just trying too hard to make a race issue out of bad fashion.
  • Crimson 2012/06/19 22:00:33
    Quirky
    Crimson
    +1
    They are ugly shoes...
  • Tea cakes 2012/06/19 21:46:55
    Quirky
    Tea cakes
    +1
    offensive to who? there ugly as hell and a ridiculous design though
  • lil crazy 2012/06/19 21:38:36
    Quirky
    lil crazy
    and I don't know why anyone would want to wear them especially at that price so I think they will be a flop.
  • flyingseaturtle BN 2012/06/19 21:35:05
    Quirky
    flyingseaturtle BN
    +1
    silly...
  • AskZilla 2012/06/19 21:32:55 (edited)
    Offensive
    AskZilla
    +1
    It's not racist, but that still doesn't mean it's not offensive. Prisoners wear shackles in chain gangs all the time. They're of all colors. Chain gangs are sort of an institutionalized slavery, but those people deserve it.

    If you don't like them, don't buy them. Simple.
  • Mechelle AskZilla 2012/06/20 00:03:41
    Mechelle
    Hmmm Prisoners wear them because THEY BROKE THE LAW. Their choice not ours. If they wear shackles, they earned them. To get these whose we gotta pay a fortune.
  • AskZilla Mechelle 2012/07/10 23:46:19
    AskZilla
    +1
    Exactly and it's someone's foolish fashion choice to spend tons of money on sneakers regardless of the design. People do it every day. The Osmonds didn't sell anywhere near as many records as Madonna. The music is offered, supply and demand takes care of the rest.
  • Squatch Master 2012/06/19 21:29:52
  • S123 Squatch... 2012/06/20 05:17:09
    S123
    Why do you think it's a reference to slavery?
  • Mechelle Squatch... 2012/07/11 00:14:14
    Mechelle
    Exactly, and usually its the ones screaming racist that ARE the racist. I taught my kids to care for everyone, no matter their skin color. Inside we all look the same. We all have feelings and we all bleed when we are cut. I have a multi racial family and proud to say it. Anyone that does not like it, to bad. Don't friend me.
  • Tennyson James 2012/06/19 21:21:17
    Offensive
    Tennyson James
    For some people - even today - shackles represent being imprisoned/enslaved. Sorry, bu here is nothing funny or quirky about shackles.
  • Avisobling Tennyso... 2012/06/19 22:59:18
    Avisobling
    +2
    your just not using them right
  • mmmholl... Tennyso... 2012/06/20 15:36:44
    mmmhollywould
    +1
    No but they sure can be hot. I do like to wear them at those intimate moments.
  • Zeus2713 2012/06/19 21:13:16
    Quirky
    Zeus2713
    Stupid but not offensive
  • littlebuffalo55TBA 2012/06/19 21:02:31
    Offensive
    littlebuffalo55TBA
    Lol...It's obvious the "Famous" designer and the Adidas Board that approve such things needs a Spanking!

  • S123 littleb... 2012/06/20 05:17:50
    S123
    Why do you think this is about slavery?
  • littleb... S123 2012/06/20 06:40:52
    littlebuffalo55TBA
    Why are you assuming anything in my comment referred to slavery?
  • S123 littleb... 2012/06/20 20:19:34
    S123
    Because that's what the question was about.
  • littleb... S123 2012/06/20 20:30:47 (edited)
    littlebuffalo55TBA
    There is no specific reference to "Slavery" in the question. There is an opinion by Jesse Jackson about race relations in the overall where he states why he is outraged. He does not mention that word. I'll take the Adidas executive at his word as I think reference to it was not the intent. I honestly think they are that dumb!

    I simply find the idea of $350 shoes with shackles as some fashion statement offensive.
  • S123 littleb... 2012/06/20 20:48:11
    S123
    Actually, it says "critics bashed the brand for being insensitive to a painful reminder of slavery" and Jesse Jackson said that "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," so I don't know what else he would have been talking about. I do think the shoes are stupid and ugly.
  • littleb... S123 2012/06/20 20:54:54
    littlebuffalo55TBA
    Fer Fuk sakes! I make a humorous statement about how dumb Adidas is and the designer and you want to analyze it beyond any intent I had?

    It was a JOKE about them! Get it?
  • S123 littleb... 2012/06/22 19:56:51
    S123
    +1
    I'm not analyzing it, I just thought you were saying it was about slavery because that's what the question was asking. Now I see that you didn't mean that.
  • mmmholl... S123 2012/06/20 15:37:45
    mmmhollywould
    +1
    I sure didn't think she was speaking of slavery :)
  • Helen mmmholl... 2012/06/28 02:02:53
    Helen
    Slavery was the furthest thing from my mind. I was thinking about prisoners, the rise in the crime rate and how so many young folks think it is cool to be trendy, the number of young folks being arrested for stuff now compared to what they once were.
  • mmmholl... Helen 2012/07/03 15:47:53
    mmmhollywould
    Black culture glorifies prison culture. You have seen the dudes who are "jailin"
  • Mike 2012/06/19 21:01:42
    Quirky
    Mike
    +1
    Until the media stops listening to these race baiters nothing will change

    I don't like the sneaks but the younger generation probably would. Its a gimmick marketing ploy, that's turned into racial bantering

    How bout these idiots that walk around with their pants below their buttocks guess that's Ok hey Jesse
  • dream-hair! 2012/06/19 20:58:06
    Quirky
    dream-hair!
    they are awesome but give me creepers any day!
  • joan.sloane 2012/06/19 20:52:26
    Quirky
    joan.sloane
    They are not quirky or offensive to me. I would call them ridiculous in appearance and price. The name is obviously just a play on words and not a reference to slavery.
  • brittany 2012/06/19 20:43:52
    Quirky
    brittany
    I wouldn't really call
    It quirky but i think it shows that we can't do anything in this country and we might as well be locked up!?!!
  • Lorena Mcginnis 2012/06/19 20:41:14
    Quirky
    Lorena Mcginnis
    +2
    Defintly not offensive, it's bad that people still think of little things like this as racist and offensive.
  • spencerc143 2012/06/19 20:38:34
    Quirky
    spencerc143
    +1
    Too bad 'weird' wasnt an option.
  • blissful 2012/06/19 20:36:26
    Quirky
    blissful
    +1
    How much more stupid can these be! I can't find other words to express how dumb this is..
  • dream-h... blissful 2012/06/19 20:58:42
    dream-hair!
    +1
    all fashion is dumb, theres no point thats the point!

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