Adidas Nixes New Line Of Shackle Shoe

Adidas is a giant in the sports clothing industry, but a new shoe design by the company has been nixed before it even hits stores because of the accessory attached to the shoe which has caused outrage. The shoe is called the JS Roundhouse Mid which features an ankle "chain and shackle" that has conjured up images of slavery in the African American community. The shoe was desiged by Jeremy Scott, who has designed many shoes for the Adidas Originals collection. Scott says the shoe was inspired by a doll, 'My Pet Monster', that was very popular in the 1980's. The toy inspired a short lived cartoon featuring a purple and blue monster that broke free of orange chains that very much resembled those on the shoe.

No matter how you try and spin it, the image of the "chain & shackle" is not a positive one in some people's eyes and the opposition to the shoe was swift and loud. Adidas has decided against putting the show on the market. Adidas even put out a statement that reads:

Our collaboration with Jeremy Scott has always stood for creativity and originality. Jeremy Scott is renowed as a designer whose style is quirky and lighthearted and his previous shoe designs for Adidas Originals have, for example, included panda heads 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. Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of it's market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.

The original price of the shoe was going to be $350 a pair, but now you can use that money for something else, like sensitivity training. Did Adidas do the right thing? You decide.