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

Big Business knows very well what the trends are and who buys what, that's called marketing. Then again there's people like J. Jackson who wants to stir it up with the race card to get another 15 min of fame. If only married men (only)m wore these tennis shoes then it may imply the ole ball an chain joke, i guess people just have to play the race card, still, and forever.

Shackle is a cool word.

that makes a positive spin on it.

I know, riight? :D

We are in the future and the only thing stopping us from living in this new age is stupid people who think that race makes you anything other then human...I hate no one but the under tone of alot of non ethnic Americans and others around the world is hatred or judgment about people you don't even know...if you don't know yourself how can you know another human...that said the sneakers suck.

Have a couple of high profile bothers start wearing them and all the white boys will be wearing them within a few days.

The people who would like, and buy, something like this are nothing but thugs. I do not think these sneakers have anything to do with slavery. That is just a straw man that these people like to throw out when they have nothing else to back them up. They know exactly what the shackles mean....and is has nothing to do with slavery, and everything to do with their lifestyles and value system...or lack thereof.

as you have your own opinion others have theirs, it seems you associate shackles with the negative, though i would associate them with the positive

anyone who thinks this is offensive is racist

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit...another mindless robot whose only retort is the old racist charge. Can't handle the truth eh bro?

because it's true if u think this is offensive yer racist, that or u got something against shackles i dunno, plus my opinion is my own this is what i believe if u dont agree thats yer problem

Why would shoe taste have anything to do with racism?

exactly i didn't even think of racism when i saw them. i thought "hey prison shoes!" and their orange too.

I just felt they were ugly as hell. Many of todays styles are horrible.

agreed.

It's hard to believe idiots buy this crap.

rich ideots

ill tell you whats offensive. 350 dollars for a pair of tennis shoes.

LOL i'll agree to that

all my shoes together don't cost that much. lol

but they look kind of uncomfortable

The wonderful world of Marketing.

The negative publicity suggests no marketing or blind tests were done

They( the people) just want something to bicth about because if there not bicthing their not happy! Sorry mean but true!

Quirky, silly and not worth the money! But only Jesse Jackson would tie it to slavery. What about all the criminals that have had shackles put on regardless of the color of their skin?

did you forget Rev Sharpton?

LOL --- I always try to forget him!

i want a pair RIGHT NOW!!! ^.^

Nothing offended me except the style lol. To say these are racist is to say only blacks wear addidas and while im mixed and i wear them i have met people of all color sporting addidas and find assiming these are offensive is silly and presumptuous.

go Nike

I think of jail, the shackles on your ankles. But i so agree with the top comment that everyone wants to be a victim.

They don't look offensive they're actually kind of unique

fugly sneaks, but people need to get over themselves.

This is fashion haha really... Anywho first thing I thought of was BDMS and prison haha slavery no... it's a different look they r trying to be fresh and diffrent with new out their ideas... Honestly I don't care for them but eh to each their own

They aren't offensive in the least. While the design is... questionable, it's a good idea. Because I've known some people to actually tie their shoe laces around their ankles, to prevent their shoes from slipping off while running, or playing a game.

It seems as though everything these days is being attributed to slavery, which is slightly offensive in itself. What the men in women of that dark time went through, and what men and women today STILL go through is nothing to be taken lightly. The shoe isn't to mock that plight -- it's simply an unfortunate design.

These shoes are hideous, but not offensive... unless, of course, you're the fashion police. :P

Fugly as hell, but if the shackle were removable, they could save a huge financial loss (as if I care). Then again, I think they should have held their ground. Too many people live for being offended 24/7. In this case, the new generation is ready to put old stereotypes behind them (including slavery of ALL races, except, of course, the stuff that still goes on..), if the older ones would shut up and let them lie where they belong, in the past. We need only remember the lesson, not every word and reference to the ugliness. Besides, I saw "prison", too, and as a recent divorcee, the "ball-and-chain" reference. May I never return to those times, either;)

And hey-what about ski, snowboard, and surfboard ankle straps? (Do we have to recall all those bc they, too, are offensive??) This is probably the paralell the designer had in mind. If they advertised them alongside that concept ("Your boarding is bad-ass, so your kicks need to be as well when you're on pavement" kind of thing), maybe they can salvage them, and let some people be upset. They'll get over it. Their ignorance is showing. It's a sports reference.

Now your point is true .... But it's just that at least Ski's, snowboard, and surfboard ankle straps don't look like Chains .... And it's that Plastic Chain that makes me think that who ever was wearing them was from Prison

Oh, ya, I thought prison and the hell of matrimony first, too. Idk if I ever would have thought of slave chains unless someone else pointed it out. Also thght "bondage gear", haha...

they look lame.