Regardless of whether or not you think the “slavery” argument has any relevance to the marketing of these ridiculous looking sneakers, you had to know that somebody would make an issue of it. That being the case, didn’t this possibility occur to anyone at Adidas as they were preparing to launch this product? My prediction is that these shoes will be quickly pulled from the market, with the small number of shoes sold in the interim being carefully stored away and offered as colector’s items a few years down the road.
To be honest, I think this whole thing is hilarious. I feel bad for those blacks who look at these things as simply a stupid waste of money, as many of us do, but have to watch their relatives or acquaintances rail on about them as a serious social issue.
Just as comparing a trite thing with the Holocaust trivializes the Holocaust, making a huge issue out of something as stupid as this trivializes racism.
To be honest, with all the puffery and hysteria about racism that has emanated forth from liberal land since 2008, I am of the opinion that some trivialization might not be a damaging thing for the issue. It would be nice to hear an influential black person say “Hey. This is stupid. There are enough issues worthy of our anger and emotion, and dumb sneakers with silly plastic chains and velcro is not one of them.”
We can always hope. But this kind of statement might come from Allen West, it won’t come from anyone on the liberal side, and will be discounted.
BTW, if my child bought a pair of those, (as if I would let him), I would cut those yellow bracelets right off.