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New Adidas Shoe Comes with Shackles!

By on June 18, 2012

Adidas Shackles

German sportswear company Adidas might need to be prepared for some backlash over their lastest shoe/sneaker offering.

In fact, the backlash has already begun.

Brace yourselves. Get this: Adidas has released a new shoe design set to hit stores in August. The shoe is called  JS Roundhouse Mids and features gray, purple and black coloring with orange “handcuffs” (which some say resemble shackles) to wrap around the ankles. An article on Indiewire.com suggested that the imagery of the shoes is disconcerting and potentially racist.

What do you think? Racially insentive sneaker?

Adidas, on their Facebook Page, has over 14 million likes and over 1,000 comments about the shoes ranging from people saying, “I need this,” to “[whoever] wears this is openly saying they are a slave. Like come on shackles on [your] ankles and the actual sneaker design is obviously [made] for people of color to like…I [refuse] to be made a fool of…” The caption underneath of shoe reads: “Tighten up your style with JS Roundhouse Mids, dropping in August. Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles.”

The sneakers don’t really bother me but I don’t see what the purpose is behind the chain/shackles thing. Is it suppose to keep you from breaking your ankles or somethin?

I would never wear these anyway, not my style. I can see why some people would be upset about it though — they do look like shackles!

Update: German sports apparel maker Adidas has canceled the release of the controversial JS Roundhouse sneaker, which featured rubber ankle shackles, after a huge public outcry, reports CNN.com.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/willboywonder Will Saunders

    I’m like you Shavar. They are not my style and I wouldn’t wear them anyway. A plain ol regular pair of sneakers is just fine for me. But I do understand why some people are upset by these sneakers. But I look at it this way. Those shackles are very symbolic. As a society, we often put materialism before all else. We are shackled by the superficial and shallow trends that fashion has over us, especially when you look at the cost of sneakers these days. Shackles are appropriate. The backlash is only because the truth hurts, in my humble opinion.

  • http://www.facebook.com/willboywonder Will Saunders

    Oh, and also, I remember overhearing some dudes on a street corner bragging about going to prison and wanting to go to prison. We/they are shackled by thoughts.