By now you may have heard about the Adidas “shackle shoe” that’s been a topic of controversy the last day or two. The sneaker, designed by Jeremy Scott, sparked a fair amount of outrage, with many saying it evoked slavery.
Now, I’m not going to say I disagree that the sneakers can be percieved as having undertones of slavery–without context I can see where the critics are coming from. But was that what came to mind when I first saw these sneakers? Not at all. My mind automatically thought that’s cool, a sneaker with some bondage-y fetish elements…alright.
Looking at Jeremy Scott’s other work, such as his 2011 Boudoir Bombshells collection, for example, this most recent Adidas collaboration doesn’t come as much of a surprise, and in my opinion, it runs consistent with much of his other designs (see more here).
So it’s all a matter of perspective, and I think it pays to take a closer look at the designer and their larger body of work for some added context. But that’s just my take on it.
So is the public better off without this potentially offensive footwear, or is it a shame Adidas took these off the market? What do you think?
