As we previously reported, corporate skate shoe giant Adidas is catching heat after a campaign in Israel featuring a former Israeli soldier turned into a whole lot of controversy online.
The campaign was promoting Adidas’ Single Shoe service, which allows people who only need one shoe to purchase a single shoe instead of a pair.
The idea is aimed at amputees and people with limb differences who may not need two shoes.
For the Israeli campaign, Adidas featured Shalev Biton, a former Israeli soldier who lost his left leg after being wounded during military service in 2021.
That choice did not sit well with a lot of people.
Once photos from the campaign started making the rounds online, pro-Palestinian activists and social media users began calling out Adidas and asking people to boycott the company.
Their criticism focused on the decision to feature a former Israeli soldier in a campaign centered around limb loss while Palestinians in Gaza have suffered thousands of serious injuries and amputations during the war.
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The situation got even more attention after public figures, including Javier Bardem, shared criticism of the campaign online.
Adidas has now responded.
In a statement posted Monday by Adidas Arabia on Instagram, the company said it understood the concerns surrounding the promotion and apologized to anyone who was offended by the campaign.
“It was never our intent to cause offence, and we apologize for anyone affected,” Adidas said.
The company also tried to put some distance between the promotion and its wider advertising operation, describing it as a local activation rather than a global campaign.
Adidas said its Single Shoe service was created to make footwear more accessible to people whose needs do not fit the usual two-shoe setup. The program was first introduced in Europe earlier this year and has since expanded into parts of Asia and the Middle East.
Those markets include the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt.
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The brand also pointed to its work throughout the Middle East, saying it has relationships with athletes, teams and communities across the region and provides footwear and other products to people who need them.
But the campaign has already left plenty of people questioning Adidas’ decision-making.
For the skateboarding community, Adidas is obviously a much bigger name than just another shoe company.
The brand has been deeply involved in skateboarding for years, with a dedicated skate line and a long list of skaters wearing its shoes around the world.
So when Adidas gets caught up in controversy, it is going to get attention from skaters too.
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This latest situation is not about an Adidas skate shoe or a team rider getting into trouble. It comes from the company’s wider footwear business, but the Adidas name carries into skateboarding regardless.
The company says inclusion remains one of its core values and that it will listen to the criticism surrounding the campaign.
Right now, Adidas has apologized and said that the Israeli promotion was a local campaign.