Monday, June 18, 2012

Adidas 'JS Roundhouse Mids' Promoting Slavery?

First I want to say that other than the shoes having my favorite color purple on them I think that these shoes look ridiculous.






What do you think? Do you think that these shoes look ridiculous?  



Adidas is being accused of promoting slavery with its new JS Roundhouse Mids, which are orange shackles that are worn around a runner's ankles, reports theDaily Mail.
However, some critics have compared the apparel to actual steel shackles worn by black slaves centuries ago. 
On top of that, the JS Roundhouse Mid won't even be released until August.
Dr. Boyce Watkins, of Syracuse University, wrote inYour Black World that "Shackles" were "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 and kept away from you in the educational system, all so you'd be willing to put shackles on your ankles today and not be so sensitive about it." 
"There is always a group of negroes who are more than happy to resubmit themselves to slavery. I'm offended by these shoes as there is nothing funny about the prison industrial complex, which is the most genocidal thing to happen to the black family since slavery itself." 
Adidas was contacted by the Daily Mail, but has not issued a statement.


The orange shackles remind me of prison shackles. I can also see how blacks could view the shackles as promoting slavery.  I don't think that it was Adidas's plan to promote either slavery or the jailhouse look.  As far as I'm concerned I think this is one of the dumbest ideas produced by Adidas.  I am still trying to figure out how the shackles on the shoes are supposed to help a person run. To me this is a little bizarre, like Adidas is trying to stir up controversy to boost up sales for their business.  Controversy for some reason usually does sell. They're supposed to be released for sale in August. Let's wait and see whether that happens or whether Adidas is going to dump the shoes due to this controversy. 



4 comments:

Woodsterman (Odie) said...

I heard about this yesterday. They are, without a doubt, the dumbest looking shows I've ever seen. Because it seems to wrinkle the left so well, I wholeheartedly endorse them.

Trekkie4Ever said...

My husband showed them to me yesterday and I was like, "ummm...I don't get it?"

They are atrocious! But I think I would rather see those shoes than seeing men's pants sagging around their rumps exposing their underwear.

Reaganite Independent said...

I would think the target market for these shoes spend a lot of their time getting arrested, could make things easier for the police

MathewK said...

You'd be amazed at the crap that is popular these days. If you can get a celebrity to wear idiotic crap like this, I'm pretty sure there will be thousands of idiots queuing up to get some.

The other day I saw some celebrity wearing a suit top with a pair of shorts and sneakers, looked like a clown, but because he's a celebrity, he wasn't laughed off the stage.

Far as these things looking like shackles, well I suppose they do, but to link it to black slavery seems to me as scratching around for a reason to whine.