Closed-Toe Scandal: Jeremy Scott x Adidas

“Velcro. Next to the Walkman and Tab, it’s the coolest invention of the 20th century,” Helen Hunt proclaims in the 1985 movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun.  Alas, today we are writing about Velcro in the midst of controversy, not silliness. Colorful designer Jeremy Scott’s latest collaboration with Adidas has been pulled from production. The shoe features some bizarre and very orange ankle “handcuff” straps and there is somewhat of an Internet uproar about whether the shoes are too close to symbols of slavery. Unsurprisingly, Adidas denies the link and cites Scott’s previous Adidas collaborations—which include sneakers with teddy-bear heads, gorilla heads, and Mickey Mouse’s face, as well as winged ballet flats—as evidence of his benign eccentricity. We think they should have mentioned his Bart Simpson outfit from his FW 2012 collection.