Adidas, designer Willy Chavarria under fire for appropriating Mexican huaraches. Here's why.

USA Today

14 hours ago

After years of challenging the fashion industry with designs that blur the lines between politics and advocacy, Willy Chavarria has seemingly crossed the line this time in the eyes of some Latinos.
The Mexican American fashion designer − who's dressed the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Colman Domingo, Madonna and Usher – received backlash for his latest design, a collaboration with Adidas inspired by traditional huaraches from Mexico.
As footwear-focused websites and blogs shared the news of the "Oaxacan Slip On" in early August, the backlash was swift. Critics accused Chavarria and Adidas of cultural appropriation for creating a product that used a traditional design from Indigenous artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico's Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, but outsourcing labor to China.
The 58-year-old designer has since expressed his regret for appropriating the shoe's design, which was "not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community."
Here's what to know about the controversy, which has escalated to the highest levels of Mexican politics.
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Willy Chavarria unveils the Oaxaca Slip On
On Aug. 3, Chavarria unveiled the Oaxaca Slip On during Adidas Originals' panel at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, according to WWD.
The slip-on sneakers, inspired by the huarache, featured a woven upper portion made of leather, open toes and a chunky, sturdy sole.
"This to me is such a hybrid between my work and Adidas and it's just like the perfect combination; it's, like, literally one of the most classic Chicano references with the white sock and it actually wasn't easy to do," Chavarria told Sneaker News when his design made its debut.
"It took trial after trial after trial and it's just really well made. The interior of the Huarache is fully padded. And the footbed is padded leather," he added. "And yes, there's a brown version coming, too."
Of his rising profile in the fashion scene, Chavarria said: "My goal has been to really influence fashion and culture in a positive way, so along with that comes responsibility and I'm very grateful for it."
Why are people saying Willy Chavarria's shoes are cultural appropriation?
Karina Berenice, who's known online as "fashion maximalist" influencer Benulus, in a TikTok video called out Chavarria and Adidas for failing to represent Mexican culture sensitively.
"What came out recently leaves you very disappointed and with a very bad taste," she said, calling out the "ignorance and lack of research into the design." She added, "There is no room for defending you, my Willy."
Pointing out the box containing the shoes indicates it was manufactured in China, Berenice said, "He missed the biggest opportunity to work with Mexican artisans and community.
"The point is that Willy did everything wrong and it is not how we want to be represented," she said, saying Mexican Americans are often stereotyped as "wannabes" who "only take advantage of and appropriate the culture." Berenice was born in Mexico but has lived most of her life in the U.S.
Pedro Ramirez of the Los Angeles shop Julliette Shoes spoke with L.A. Taco about the impact of creating a shoe for mass consumption that strays from a culture's traditional design.
"We want this to continue the way it's been taught for years and we don't want it to be deformed or distorted from the original," he said.
The criticism also reached a fever pitch when Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum held a press conference denouncing the Oaxacan Slip On on Aug. 8. "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."
Deputy Culture Minister Marina Nunez confirmed that Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss "restitution to the people who were plagiarized."
Oaxaca state Gov. Salomón Jara Cruz addressed Adidas leadership in a public letter, criticizing the company's design and adding that "culture isn't sold, it's respected."
How did Willy Chavarria respond?
"The intention was always to honor the powerful cultural and artistic spirit of Oaxaca and its creative communities — a place whose beauty and resistance have inspired me," Chavarria said in a statement, per The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. "The name 'Oaxaca' is not just a word — it's living culture, it's people, and it's history."
"I am deeply sorry that the shoe was appropriated in this design and not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community," he added. "This falls short of the respect and collaborative approach that Oaxaca, the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag and its people deserve."
USA TODAY has reached out to Chavarria's fashion house for comment.
"The 'Oaxaca slip-on' was inspired by a design from Oaxaca, rooted in the tradition of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag," Adidas said in a Aug. 11 statement. "We offer a public apology and reaffirm our commitment to collaborate with Yalálag in a respectful dialogue that honours their cultural legacy."
'It's imporant for me to show Latinos'
Speaking to USA TODAY in 2023, Chavarria opened up about being inspired by his "culture," having grown up in the agricultural community of Huron, California, with an Irish American mother and Mexican American father.
"It's been just intuitive for me to take elements of Mexican and Mexican American culture and make that a part of my design philosophy, and integrate the people that have inspired me – so Mexican American people – into my work," he said.
Most recently, Chavarria made his debut at Paris Fashion Week with his fall 2025 collection, which showcased fashions that challenged and celebrated identity, queerness and his cultural pride.
"I had never seen the type of people that I cast on the runway, or I'd never seen the type of people that I use for editorials, or just modeling and branding," he said in the 2023 interview. "So it's important for me to show Latinos and see ourselves in the public eye in a very beautiful and elevated way."
Contributing: Helen Reid, Reuters; Anika Reed and Pamela Avila, USA TODAY