Mexico Demands Adidas Pay for “Cheap Copy” of Indigenous Huaraches
Mexico demands compensation from Adidas for a shoe design that mimics Indigenous huaraches from Oaxaca, accusing the company of cultural appropriation.
The government of Mexico has accused Adidas, a major player in the sportswear industry, of cultural appropriation and is seeking compensation for a shoe design that it claims closely resembles traditional Indigenous footwear from Oaxaca.
The new Adidas Oaxaca Slip-On, designed by Mexican-American fashion designer Willy Chavarria, is at the heart of the debate. According to officials, the design of a sneaker sole with the woven pattern of huarache sandals on top mimics the creations of craftspeople in Villa de Hidalgo Yalalag without community approval.
Collective intellectual property is what it is. Compensation must be provided. President Claudia Sheinbaum stated during her routine news conference on Friday that “the heritage law must be complied with.” Large corporations frequently appropriate Indigenous communities’ designs, concepts, and goods. To be able to assist them, we are examining the legal aspect.
Salomon Jara Cruz, the governor of Oaxaca, harshly criticized the design, claiming that employing traditional manifestations that “provide identity to communities” cannot be justified by “creative inspiration.” “Culture isn’t sold, it’s respected,” he wrote in a public letter to Adidas.
Adidas representatives agreed to meet with Oaxaca authorities, according to the government.
The National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) of Mexico also declared its intention to take the business to court. “The Mexican government defends Indigenous intellectual property, against the well-known brand ADIDAS,” the INPI declared in a social media post. The inappropriate use of the traditional huarach design, which comes from Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, Oaxaca, will be legally challenged by the INPI. Will you purchase them?
Adidas had gotten in touch with Oaxacan authorities to talk about “restitution to the people who were plagiarized,” according to Deputy Culture Minister Marina Nunez.
For certain craftspeople, the conflict extends beyond issues of intellectual property. The Adidas shoes are a “cheap copy” of genuine work, according to Viridiana Jarquin Garcia, a huaraches maker and trader in the capital of Oaxaca. “The artistry is disappearing. She declared, “We’re losing our tradition.”
Requests for response were not immediately answered by Chavarria or Adidas. Chavarria justified his partnership with the brand in a previous interview with Sneaker News, stating, “I’m very proud to work with a company that really respects and elevates culture in the truest way.”
About half a million people are employed in Mexico’s handicraft industry, which accounts for roughly 10% of GDP in states like Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacan, and Guerrero.
This most recent dispute comes after the Mexican government previously complained about Shein, Zara, Carolina Herrera, and Louis Vuitton, among other labels, for utilizing Indigenous designs without authorization.
