Screenshot of a blog post that reads
Cultural Appropriation? Willy Chavarría x Adidas’ “Oaxaca Slip-On”
Statement from the Secretary of Cultures and Arts of Oaxaca (provided by Cultural Documentalist Laura Quiroz)
On Sunday, August 3, 2025, designer Willy Chavarría unveiled his latest collaboration with Adidas—the “Oaxaca Slip-On” (see images here). While the shoe is being celebrated as a “nod to Chicano culture” and a “revival of Mexican tradition,” the Secretary of Cultures and Arts of the State of Oaxaca claims that Chavarría and Adidas have neglected to credit the Yalalag Community, “whose traditional huaraches were used as the aesthetic basis for the footwear.” This accusation of cultural appropriation is now being widely reported, including on CNN.com (August 6, 2025).
The nerdy tattle-tale in me grew up to be an academic who loves calling out designers who plagiarize and culturally appropriate. The latest is #Adidas x #WillyChavarría. Here’s what I wrote (including learning resources!): deed.parsons.edu/2025/08/07/c...
#culturalappropriation #acasky #huaraches