Poll: Adidas Slave Shoes

[Nerexor]

Regardless of the implications that may or may not be applied here, those shoes are fucking ugly. Seriously, did someone stand up in a meeting at Adidas and say "You know what's really in this year? Shackles" and everyone was just stunned into agreement? Or maybe they're hoping to cash in on the popularity of cheap bondage thanks to the 50 shades of grey books?

 

[Hoplon]

The only thing offensive about those sneakers is having to look at them.

Damn but they are fucking ugly.

 

[Latinidiot]

They look horrible, but that is no reason to boycott them. Well it is, but not on some fancy principle. They are indeed shackles, but if you keep looking for symbolism in every little thing you can find, your world will be filled with dicks. it will be a sausage fest.

Basically a Cock tsunami s what I'm sayin.

i don't remember what we're on about.

 

[ace_of_something]

Well besides the fact they look stupid, uncomfortable, and expensive. They are getting a lot of free publicity. Mission Accomplished for Adidas?

apparently the desing was based on my pet monster from the 80s

I had one of those! It was waaay better than 'my buddy' 'my buddy' was for dorks.

If you're really trying to say the lasting effects of hundreds of years of slavery and persecution have dissappeared in less than a century, I have no option but to believe you are being deliberately obtuse.

I could reel off all the statistics that prove there's still an issue but I'm sure you've heard it all before and simply just don't care.

While I agree with most of your statements 1865 is well over a century. Nitpick man aaawwwwaaaaayyyy

 

[D-Ray]

1st: Slavery being "normal at the time" does NOT in any way make it less of a big deal when it comes to affects on the US... if not the world. Slavery ANYWHERE is still horrible.

2nd: YOU may not feel the effects of slavery today, but who are you to speak for every person in the US today? If slavery from back then doesn't have anymore influence today, then why is this shoe-stuff even an issue?

Also, stop comparing slavery to wars....Wars are fought between countries and soldiers.....not degrading hate and murdering of innocent people for no reason other than skin, sex, race, etc.

 

[Ickorus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18514626

Yep, a stupid pair of shoes are exactly what we should be angry about.

 

[Aris Khandr]

It's too bad the colours are so awful. I know a few people who would like a pair if the colours were more subdued. Black tennies, black shackles? Why is that so hard?

 

[Scarim Coral]

I don't find it offensive but I do find those shoes to be a stupid idea for a new fashion trend/ style.

 

[Furioso]

I don't think they are that offensive, but I do think that this is the type of thing that you would have to be stupid not to realize that people WOULD think it's offensive. This is the type of thing where it is laughably easy for people to cry out "racist!" even if it really isn't. They do look god awful though

 

[zidine100]

Funny that, i just thought the designer was into bondage.

although it is kind of fitting for Adidas as the people who made them are nearly slaves as it is, see sweat shops.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I'm like Honey Badger on this one...Don't care!

 

[zehydra]

Maybe if they weren't orange they'd almost look hot (only because of the implications of bondage sex lol)


Aside from bondage fetishes, meh? Nah I think the slavery thing is an over-sensitive reaction.

 

[Mournful Crow]

I think that people are so overly fucking sensitive about every little thing. These shackle shoes are tacky as hell, and Are the fugliest things I had ever seen in a while, but seriously? Offensive? Offensive to taste, perhaps, but other than being a major eyesore, I see nothing wrong with them...

 

[the abyss gazes also]

I find it offensive for unrelated reasons.

https://www.oxfam.org.au/explore/workers-rights/adidas

As dry and downplayed as that link is, Adidas HAS been caught in child labor scandals in the past, and it made me pretty ticked to see these shoes with that in mind.

When I read the thread title, something more like this sprang to mind.

But....

Do I think someone at Adidas said, "Hey, lets piss off and on black folk and make something racist!"
NO, I don't.

Do I think that they maybe didn't think it through with all it implications.
YES.

And that is where most people are at (at least in America (only lived in USA and haven't really traveled much to know about true feelings elsewhere) when it comes to racism. You have small pockets, like the KKK, that are blatantly racist, but there is still a lot of subtle not intentional, or just careless racism that exists.

Is this the most egregious example. Far from it. With this particular example what makes my brain hurt most is who thought just the idea was good enough to go into production. They look stupid and hideous.

 

[Jaeke]

They're not offensive, they're just hilariously stupid. If anyone got caught wearing that 'round here they would be reminded about it till the day they die, especially by me.

 

[zarix2311]

These are just...really, really dumb. Why would you want to wear these? The chains don't have a single function. What? Are they afraid we're all so stupid that we'll lose our shoes if they're not shackled to us? I don't know how they think these will look appealing, but whatever the case the marketing department got fucked over.

 

[Kyber]

Slaves were whipped with a whip in ye' old days, still they sell whips in sex shops all the time, so why cant they sell sneakers with shackles? for some other reason then they are fugly