Overview

• Adidas issued a public apology acknowledging that the Oaxaca Slip-On drew from Villa Hidalgo Yalálag’s huarache tradition without proper community involvement.
• Designer Willy Chavarría expressed remorse for not collaborating directly with Zapotec artisans and pledged to engage in respectful dialogue.
• Negotiations will be guided by Mexico’s Ministry of Culture and the National Copyright Institute to determine restitution under existing heritage protections.
• President Claudia Sheinbaum and Governor Salomón Jara Cruz condemned the appropriation and signaled plans to strengthen legal safeguards for Indigenous cultural expressions.
• The incident follows similar disputes at major fashion brands and underscores growing pressure for proper credit, attribution and economic participation when using traditional designs.