Overview

• Adidas and designer Willy Chavarría apologized for drawing on Villa Hidalgo Yalálag Huaraches without prior collaboration and pledged respectful talks with the community
• President Claudia Sheinbaum and Oaxaca officials have demanded compensation and urged Adidas to halt sales of the ‘Oaxaca Slip-On’
• Adidas has declined to withdraw the sandal but said it will continue dialogue with federal and state authorities
• Mexican leaders are preparing potential lawsuits under a recent sui generis law designed to protect indigenous communal designs
• Legal experts warn the case could set a precedent for how collective cultural heritage is treated under Mexico’s intellectual-property framework