Olympic Sponsor Adidas Shuffles Out 'Slave Sneakers' Before London Games

ADIDAS: A slave to fashion? (Adidas/Facebook).

Being a top Olympic sponsor with the London Games about one month away, Adidas? choice to hit the market with a pair of sneakers that incorporate slave shackles isn?t the best idea.

Now, the German company is fielding accusations of racism after the revealing the sneakers on Facebook with the caption: ?Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles??

The JS Roundhouse Mid, which features a bright orange chain and ankle strap, are a collaboration between Adidas Originals and designer Jeremy Scott. For Scott, this apparently marks a departure from his previous Adidas designs that have featured a less offensive panda bear and Mickey Mouse.

?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,? a representative for the shoemaker told NBC. ?Jeremy Scott is renowned as a designer whose style is quirky and lighthearted ? ?Any suggestion that this is linked to slavery is untruthful.?

But the people have spoken. Some choice Facebook comments here:

• ??What is this, the slavery line??
• ?Why would you want shackles round your legs that?s just like back in slavery days.?
• ?Wearing them you can feel like real prisoner.?
• ?Sorry but I?d rather not look like someone who just broke out of prison.?

Not everyone was offended.

?Jeremy [Scott] always pushes boundaries. Shoes like these just makes it even more obvious that only people with real guts want and would wear them. This has nothing to do with slavery.?

Another comment simply read: ?Not everything with a chain is related to slavery, people.?

London Organizing Committee of the Olympic (LOCOG), already in hot water over it?s deals with BP and Dow Chemical, is reportedly ?discussing? the issue with Adidas.

Meanwhile, the ?racist sneakers? are scheduled to be available in August. Up next: homophobic slippers and misogynist flip flops!

johnmclarkejr@gmail.com, Twitter @johnmclarkejr

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