Adidas Under Fire for Promoting Slavery With New JS Roundhouse Mids Athletic Shoes

The Adidas company in the midst of a growing controversy due to a new style of athletic shoes set to reach stores in August, just in time for back-to-school shopping. The JS Roundhouse Mids boast bright orange rubber ankle shackles which critics claim are reminiscent of slavery. Adidas launched a Facebook promotional campaign last week featuring the questioning tagline – “Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles,” The Blaze reports.

Syracuse University Professor Dr. Boyce Watkins found the new Adidas JS Roundhouse Mids very offensive. Dr. Watkins stated during an interview with Your Black World that he “literally froze up” when he saw the new design. “Handcuffs…shackles..the stuff that our ancestors wore for 400 years while experiencing the most horrific atrocities imaginable, most of which were never documented in the history books. All so you would be willing to put shackles on your ankles today and not be so sensitive about it?” Dr. Watkins went on to chastise the “group of negroes who are more than happy to resubmit themselves to slavery,” noting the commercialized hip-hop culture which he feels promotes self-destruction.

Adidas Facebook fan comments typically included disparaging statements about the ankle shackles attached to the new athletic shoes, Huffington Post reports. The four-day old Adidas Facebook advertisement has been viewed by more than 7,000 readers, 2,000 of which have left comments for the popular athletic gear manufacturer.Adidas has not yet released a public statement addressing the slavery controversy related to the orange shackles attached to the JS Roundhouse Mids.