Overview
- The advertisement for Adidas’s Single Shoe Service, released in Israel and reported on Sunday, shows Shalev Biton, a former IDF soldier who lost his left leg, trying on a shoe in store and later running outdoors.
- Campaigners including the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and public figures such as Javier Bardem urged a boycott, calling the ad an affront to Palestinians and amplifying the protest on social media.
- Humanitarian groups cited in coverage say Gaza has seen thousands of traumatic amputations and tens of thousands of major extremity injuries since October 2023, and campaigners point to shortages of prosthetics and rehabilitation services there.
- Reporting to date shows Adidas has not issued a widely reported apology or reversed the campaign, leaving the company exposed to coordinated pressure and consumer backlash.
- The dispute links corporate accessibility marketing to a broader humanitarian and political debate and could force brands to weigh local campaign choices against global reputational risks and human-rights scrutiny.