Giving into pressure, adidas has decided to shelve the “Handcuff†JS Roundhouse Mid that was set to release this August for $350.  The shoes, inspired by the toy My Pet Monster and his handcuffs, were reported by MSNBC’s Tamron Hall to feature “shackles†in a story that drew comparisons to slavery. This is brewing up some heat by Jesse Jackson who referred to them as being “appalling and insensitive.†Adidas said in a statement released this evening that “we apologize if people are offended by the design.â€
The sneaker “is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott’s outrageous and unique take on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery,” Adidas said in a statement. “Since the shoe debuted on our Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, Adidas has received both favorable and critical feedback. We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.”Scott is known as one of fashion’s more outrageous characters. Adidas said he is heralded for a style that is “quirky and lighthearted.”
The Roundhouse Mid was inspired by a furry toy called My Pet Monster. “My work has always been inspired by cartoons, toys & my childhood,” Scott said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.
