Mexican authorities accuse Adidas of cultural appropriation

Officials in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca accused sportswear giant Adidas of cultural appropriation after the fashion brand debuted sandals similar to a traditional design from the region.

The Oaxaca Slip-On sandals were created by American fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has Mexican heritage, but drew pushback from both state and local officials in Oaxaca, which has one of the highest Indigenous populations in the country.

Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara first addressed the issue during a press conference on Tuesday, saying the sandals were a “reinterpreted huarache model,” particularly one that was uniquely found in the state.

In another instance, Isaias Carranza, a Oaxacan legislator of Indigenous Zapotec descent, wrote on his Facebook account: “The Adidas company, in conjunction with designer Willy Chavarria, appropriated a unique design of the traditional huaraches (sandals) from the people of the Hidalgo Yalalag village.”

Jara also threatened to take legal action against Chavarria. “This huarache is from Yalalag…we are also going to ask our Yalalag siblings to work with us so we can file a complaint” against the designer, he said at the press conference.

For its part, the Ministry of Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca said in a statement that using cultural elements for commercial purposes without the consent of Indigenous peoples was “a violation of our collective rights,” demanding that Adidas stop selling the sandals, publicly acknowledge their origin and begin a process of “dialogue and redress of grievances” with the Yalalag community.

The controversy is the latest instance of Mexican officials denouncing major brands or designers using unauthorised Indigenous art or designs from the region, with previous complaints raised about Chinese fast fashion company Shein, Spanish mega-brand Zara and high fashion house Carolina Herrera.

Adidas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.