Adidas executives personally visited a small Indigenous town in southern Mexico to apologise for a shoe design criticised as cultural appropriation, pledging future collaboration to respect local heritage.
Adidas sent representatives from its Mexican branch to Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, a small town in Oaxaca, following criticism of the 'Oaxaca Slip On,' a sandal-inspired shoe designed by Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarria.
Karen Gonzalez, head of Legal and Compliance at Adidas Mexico, apologised in person to the community of fewer than 2,000 residents, emphasising that the company would work with the town to honour its cultural heritage in the future.
"We understand this situation may have caused discomfort, and for that reason, we offer a public apology," Gonzalez said at an outdoor sports field.
Locals said the design closely resembled their traditional handmade huarache sandals.
The apology event featured traditional music and Indigenous attire. The controversy had drawn national attention after Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticised Adidas and signalled potential legal action to protect Indigenous communities from cultural appropriation.
Mexico has previously accused other global fashion brands of exploiting Indigenous designs without permission.
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Germany’s Adidas increased its full-year profit guidance, saying it managed to cushion some of the extra expenses resulting from higher U.S. tariffs.
Germany’s Adidas on Tuesday raised its full-year operating profit forecast, saying it had successfully offset part of the additional costs caused by higher U.S. tariffs.
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At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, aged 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, in their upscale Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The police investigation has labeled the incident an apparent homicide.
Schools across Cambodia and Thailand were forced to close on Monday (15 December) as border clashes between the two countries escalated, with the death toll reaching at least 40 and hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to officials and local media.
Cambodia must be the first to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing border conflict, Thailand said on Tuesday (16 December), as fighting continued despite earlier claims that hostilities would stop and at least 52 people have been killed on both sides.
Peru has received 347 repatriated cultural artefacts from the U.S., including rare pre-Columbian ceramics and textiles, in one of the country’s largest heritage returns in recent years.
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Italy is awaiting a ruling from UNESCO that could officially place its cuisine on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, a recognition that would highlight the nation’s centuries-old culinary traditions. A final decision is expected on Wednesday (10 December).
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