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5h ago

Adidas and Willy Chavarria Apologize for Appropriating Zapotec Huarache Design

Restitution talks with Villa Hidalgo Yalálag artisans are underway under proposed heritage laws to protect Indigenous designs

Marina Nunez Bespalova, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Cultural Development, speaks during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference at the National Palace to condemn Adidas and designer Willy Chavarria over the “Oaxaca Slip On” shoe, in Mexico City on August 8.
Willy Chavarria, who designed the 'Oaxaca Slip-On,' at the Mark Hotel on May 5, 2025, in New York.
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Overview

  • Adidas formally apologized for the Oaxaca Slip-On, admitting the design drew on Zapotec huarache sandals without proper community involvement
  • Willy Chavarria expressed regret that the shoe was not developed in direct partnership with the Villa Hidalgo Yalálag artisans
  • Deputy culture minister Marina Núñez says Adidas is in discussions with Oaxacan officials to arrange compensation for the affected community
  • President Claudia Sheinbaum and Governor Salomón Jara have urged legal actions to safeguard Indigenous intellectual property
  • The controversy has spurred federal and state proposals to strengthen heritage protections and ensure consent and benefit sharing