Adidas honors Juneteenth by releasing ‘Shackle’ sneakers

Adidas and fashion designer Jeremy Scott honored the nation’s Juneteenth holiday today by releasing the new JS Shackles sneakers, which feature orange plastic cuffs, evoking the très à la mode suffering of black slaves in 19th Century America.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, honors African-American  heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865.

Adidas’ celebratory post on Facebook went up with the question: “Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?” Many FB users commented that the shoes as “slave wear” and asking why anyone would want to voluntarily wear shackles.

Someone asked, “How would a Jewish person feel if Nike decided to have a shoe with a swastika and tried to claim it was OK in the name of fashion?”

An Adidas rep said, “It’s like you read our minds. We’ve got something brewing for Hannukkah, so please be patient, sneaker fans!”

Also in their upcoming shoe lineup will be the new Adidas Apache (available in red only,) the snazzy Japanese Internment Camper Boots  and the super hot KKK Burning Cross Trainers.

The Shackles shoe, scheduled to debut in August with a retail price of $350, are affordable to only the most fervent fashion slaves.