Mexican authorities are blaming sportswear companies Adidas Plagiarism by stole artisans in southern Mexico claimed that a new sandal design was very similar to traditional indigenous footwear, called Huaraches.
The controversy sparked allegations of cultural occupation by footwear brands, which authorities say is not the first time a traditional Mexican handicraft has been copied. Local authorities cite these questions and requested Adidas Refuse shoe type number.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Adidas has held talks with authorities in southern Mexico’s Oaxaca state to “provide compensation for the stolen people”, and her administration is preparing legal reforms to prevent the reproduction of Mexican handicrafts, said Friday.
The design of the Center for Dispute is the “Oaxaca Slide”, a sandal created by American designer Willy Chavarría for Adidas Originals. The sandals feature a thin leather strap, similar in form to traditional Mexican Huaraches. Adidas shoes are not flat leather soles, but a chunier sneaker soles.
According to Mexican authorities, the design of Adidas contains part of a cultural heritage Zapotec Indigenous Community in Oaxacaespecially in the town of Villa Hidalgo de Yalálag. Handicrafts are a crucial economic lifespan in Mexico, providing jobs to approximately 500,000 people nationwide. The industry accounts for about 10% of the GDP of states such as Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacán and Guerrero.
For Viridiana Jarquín García, a Huaraches creator and supplier in the capital of Oaxaca, the Adidas shoes are a “cheap copy” of the craft that Mexican artists need time and care for.
“We are losing our artistic nature. We are losing our traditions,” she said in front of the small leather shoes stall.
Authorities in Oaxaca have called for the withdrawal of the “Oaxaca slide” and demanded a public apology by Adidas, which officials described the design as a “cultural occupation” that could violate Mexican law.
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz criticized the company’s design in an open letter to Adidas leaders, saying “creative inspiration” is not a valid reason to use “a cultural expression of identity for the community.”
He added: “The culture is not for sale, it is respected.”
Adidas responded in a letter Friday afternoon that the company “deeply cherishes the cultural wealth of the indigenous peoples of Mexico and recognizes the relevance of criticism.” It asked to sit down with local officials and discuss how to “repair damage to the indigenous population.”
The controversy comes after years of efforts by the Mexican government and artisans, overturning the major global clothing brands they say replicate traditional designs.
In 2021, the federal government asked manufacturers, including Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl, to provide public explanations about why they copied the clothing designs of the indigenous Oaxaca community for sale in their stores.
Now, Mexican authorities say they are working to develop stricter regulations to protect artists. However, Marina Núñez, Mexico’s Deputy Minister for Cultural Development, noted that they also want to establish guidelines to not deprive artists of “the opportunity to trade or cooperate with these companies with a very wide range of commercial areas.”
