Um. Racism! It's alive and well in 2012, manifested in forms as varied and ubiquitous as an international soccer tournament, houses of education across the country, and (probably, we think) in the inscrutable soul of a vigilante neighborhood watchman in Florida. So it should come as no surprise that a megacorporation must overcome an occasional run-in with racism during its daily quest to expand profit margins. But adidas' proposed new shoes, the JS Roundhouse Mids, cross a blurry line of potential insensitivity and hurtle full speed into all-out racism.
Look at those things. THEY HAVE SHACKLES AROUND THE ANKLES! Fortunately, public outrage, which escaped SportsOlogy to this point, has convinced adidas to cancel the proposed August release date. Good thing, too, because shoe releases can devolve into violence regardless of the shoe's racial implications.
Anywho, how the fuck did no one at adidas send an email saying something like, "Hey you guys, cool idea for the new shoes and all, but we might not wanna revert to 18th century slave symbolism. Just a thought! Anyone wanna get lunch? I hear there's a new Hooters that just opened up down the street."? I know nothing about the conception and construction of new shoes, but I would imagine it takes more than one racist guy with a perverse sense of humor to complete the process.
If you're searching for a silver lining, I suppose it's better that adidas scratched the release ahead of time rather than waiting for a shitstorm in August. But damn. This is pretty messed up.
---
Follow on Ology: Anthony Schneck | NBA
Follow on Twitter: @AnthonyOlogy | @OlogySports
[Kulture Kritic]
Comments (2)