Mexico City: Global sportswear brand Adidas has come under fire in Mexico for allegedly misappropriating a traditional Indigenous sandal design in its latest collaboration with designer Willy Chavarria.

The controversy centres around the recently launched Oaxaca Slip-On sandals, which were created by Chavarria, an American designer of Mexican descent. The design bears a strong resemblance to huaraches, a traditional footwear style deeply rooted in Indigenous communities of southern Mexico—particularly in Oaxaca, one of the country’s most culturally rich and Indigenous-populated states.

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara condemned the design during a press conference earlier this week, stating that the sandals were a “reinterpreted huarache model” specific to the region. He criticised both Chavarria and Adidas for allegedly copying a design from the town of Hidalgo Yalalag, a community known for its unique style of handmade sandals.

“This huarache is from Yalalag...we are also going to ask our Yalalag siblings to work with us so we can file a complaint” against the designer, Jara said.

Echoing the sentiment, Isaias Carranza, an Indigenous Zapotec legislator from Oaxaca, also took to social media to express outrage. “The Adidas company, in conjunction with designer Willy Chavarria, appropriated a unique design of the traditional huaraches (sandals) from the people of the Hidalgo Yalalag village,” Carranza wrote on Facebook.

The state’s Ministry of Cultures and Arts issued an official statement denouncing the product, saying that commercialising cultural expressions without consultation or permission from the communities involved is “a violation of our collective rights.” The ministry has called for Adidas to halt sales of the sandals, publicly acknowledge their origins, and engage in a process of dialogue and restitution with the Yalalag people.

The case is part of a broader trend in which Mexican authorities have taken a firm stand against multinational fashion brands accused of exploiting Indigenous artistry. Similar accusations in recent years have been directed at Spanish retailer Zara, Chinese fast fashion label Shein, and luxury brand Carolina Herrera.

As of now, Adidas has not issued a public response to the allegations.

(With inputs from AFP)