SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Adidas pulls shackle shoes after critics say it promotes slavery and criminal behavior.
The new shoe called "JS Roundhouse Mid" was designed by Beverly Hills designer Jeremy Scott. They were due out in August, but after Adidas posted an image of the new shoe on its Facebook page people got upset.
The shoes have bright orange links and cuffs designed to strap around a person's ankles. On his twitter page Scott says the design was inspired by the 1990 cartoon and toy "My Pet Monster," but those outraged say the look like shackles reminiscent of those worn by slaves.
Not everyone saw the link to slavery, others made the argument the shoes promote criminal behavior. One such critic tweeting, "Those Adidas shackle sneakers are a product of rappers glamorizing criminal behavior and prison for years."
Adidas initially defending the sneakers saying they have nothing to do with slavery pulled back Monday and decided to scrap the release saying, "We apologize if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them a available in the marketplace."
