footwear

Mexican officials say sportswear giant took design idea from Indigenous community in country’s southern Oaxaca state.

Mexico’s government is seeking compensation from Adidas, accusing the sportswear giant of cultural appropriation for launching a new shoe design strikingly similar to traditional Indigenous footwear known as huaraches.

Adidas’s new Oaxaca Slip-On was created by United States fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has Mexican heritage.

But the footwear has drawn strong pushback from officials in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca, who say no authorisation was given by the Indigenous community, in the village of Villa de Hidalgo Yalalag, behind the original design.

“It’s collective intellectual property. There must be compensation. The heritage law must be complied with,” Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her regular news conference on Friday.

“Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities,” Sheinbaum said.

“We are looking at the legal part to be able to support them,” she said.

The government said that Adidas representatives had agreed to meet with Oaxaca authorities.

In a public letter to Adidas, Oaxaca state governor, Salomon Jara Cruz, criticised the company’s design – which has a sneaker sole topped with the weave of huarache sandals – saying that “creative inspiration” is not a valid justification for using cultural expressions that “provide identity to communities”.

“Culture isn’t sold, it’s respected,” he said.

Mexican news outlet Periodico Supremo said the country’s National Institute of Indigenous Peoples will launch a legal challenge over the Adidas design, and asked followers on social media: “Are you going to buy them?”

🔴 Están “padres”….🩴

Gobierno de #México defiende propiedad intelectual indígena, en contra de la reconocida marca ADIDAS (@adidas)

El INPI (@INPImx) reclamará legalmente el uso indebido del diseño tradicional de guaraches originarios de Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, #Oaxaca

¿Vas a… pic.twitter.com/KPtrfZMLGC

— PERIÓDICO SupreMo 🔴 (@Diario_Supremo) August 8, 2025

Translation: The government of Mexico defends Indigenous intellectual property, against the well-known brand ADIDAS. The INPI will legally challenge the improper use of the traditional design of huaraches originating from Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, Oaxaca. Are you going to buy them?

The controversy is the latest instance of Mexican officials denouncing major clothing brands or designers using unauthorised Indigenous art or designs from the region, with previous complaints raised about fast fashion juggernaut Shein, Spain’s Zara and high-end labels Carolina Herrera and Louis Vuitton.

Mexico’s Deputy Culture Minister Marina Nunez confirmed Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss “restitution to the people who were plagiarised”.

Neither Adidas nor the designer Chavarria, who was born in the US to an Irish-American mother and a Mexican-American father, immediately responded to requests for comment from reporters.

Chavarria had previously told Sneaker News that he had intended to celebrate his cultural heritage through his work with Adidas.

“I’m very proud to work with a company that really respects and elevates culture in the truest way,” he said.

Handicrafts are a crucial economic lifeline in Mexico, providing jobs for about half a million people across the country. The industry accounts for approximately 10 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of states such as Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacan and Guerrero.

For Viridiana Jarquin Garcia, a huaraches creator and vendor in Oaxaca’s capital, the Adidas shoes were a “cheap copy” of the kind of work that Mexican artists take time and care to craft.

“The artistry is being lost. We’re losing our tradition,” she said in front of her small booth of leather shoes.

Brits have been urged to brush up on local driving rules, as experts warn wearing two types of holiday footwear while behind the wheel could result in a hefty €344 (£282) fine

Sun-worshipping Brits jetting off to the likes of Spain and Greece this year have been issued a stark driving warning.

If sitting on a coach with a bunch of strangers in stifling heat isn’t how you want your holiday to begin, you may have already considered hiring a rental car. It’s a great way to roam around the lesser-visited parts of the country – means you’re not tied down to the strict agenda of the tour trip – and allows you to live out your fantasy of whizzing through the Amalfi Coast with the sun-roof down.

However, it is always worth brushing up on local driving laws before you get behind the wheel. Many European countries have different rules compared to the UK, and we’re not just talking about which side of the road you should drive on…

READ MORE: Spanish islands’ all-inclusive 6-drink cap and what it really means for tourists

Over in the UK, it is not explicitly illegal to drive in summer footwear like flip-flops or crocs. Under Highway Code Rule 97, drivers must wear clothing and footwear that ‘allow them to use the vehicle controls properly’ – but if you’re found to be driving without proper control, you could be found guilty of ‘careless driving’.

This carries a £100 on-the-spot fine (but issued fines may be as high as £5,000) as well as three-nine points on your licence, or even a driving ban. In a statement sent to the Mirror, Jamie Barke, Managing Director at CarMats4U.com, explains that the rules in holiday hotspots like Spain, France, and Greece, are quite similar. “While they don’t explicitly ban flip-flops, crocs, or barefoot driving, vaguely worded laws can allow local authorities to fine drivers if their footwear is deemed unsafe,” the expert added.

In Italy, minor motoring offences risk a €87 (£72) fine, but can climb up to €344 (£282). This falls under the the Codice della Strada, Article 141) which states the driver must always maintain control of their vehicle. Over in Portugal, fines range from €60 (£50) to €300 (£251) for failing to ‘abstain from practices that may impair safe driving’.

Spain’s Ley sobre Tráfico, Circulación de Vehículos a Motor, Article 13, makes it clear that drivers must always maintain control of their vehicles. Failure to do so can lead to fines of up to €200 (£167). Similarly, French law dictates that ‘drivers must be in a condition to perform all necessary driving manoeuvres’ – or risk a maximum fine of €150 (£125) – while Greece can fine holidaymakers up to €100 (£83) if they do not drive ‘with caution’.

Again, none of these driving rules explicitly ban any kind of footwear. But, if your choice of shoes impacts your driving, or ability to control your vehicle, you may still be fined. The expert also argued that beyond safety concerns, beachwear could cause a hidden risk to your car’s interior. This could be particularly costly if you’re hiring your car from a company and didn’t take out extra protection.

“Flip-flops and crocs often mean tracking in sand, grit, and moisture into the car after beach trips,” Jamie added. “These elements can damage interiors over time. To avoid fines and for additional safety, we always recommend keeping a spare pair of proper driving shoes in your car and using an easy-to-clean car mat to prevent long-term interior damage.”

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