Overview

• Governor Salomón Jara Cruz accused Adidas of appropriating Villa Hidalgo Yalalag’s traditional huarache design without consent or attribution
• The state’s Ministry of Cultures and Arts declared the commercial use of the design a violation of Indigenous communal rights and ordered Adidas to halt sales and initiate dialogue with the Yalalag community
• Oaxaca officials are preparing a formal complaint with the Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial that could block the sandals from Mexico’s market
• The disputed Slip-On, a collaboration between designer Willy Chavarría and Adidas Originals, features a woven leather upper and thick rubber sole reminiscent of huarache sandals
• Adidas has yet to issue any public statement addressing the cultural appropriation allegations