Quick Hit: Did Adidas & Jeremy Scott Go Too Far With the “Amistad Originals”?

On June 14, Adidas took to their Facebook account to post photos of Jeremy Scott’s upcoming Roundhouse Mids, and the world of sneakerdom has been outraged ever since. Originally intended for an August release, the JS Roundhouse Mids, which were part of the designer’s 2012 Fall/Winter collection has since been recalled from the market.

For the anti-sneakerheads that have no clue about what I’m referencing, the kicks feature bright orange shackles that snap around the ankles, and for many African-Americans the footwear evokes painful memories of slavery. The tagline, which read: Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?" only added more fuel to the fire. It’s unclear whether the man behind the concept will comment on the matter, but an Adidas spokesperson told USATODAY: "we apologize if people are offended by the design. The JS Roundhouse Mid is nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott's outrageous and unique spin on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery. "Jeremy Scott is renowned as a designer whose style is quirky and lighthearted ... Any suggestion that this is linked to slavery is untruthful."

This huge misstep from the athletic giant is not the first time sneaker brands received backlash for offensive designs, however. Back in March NIKE shelved a Black and Tan shoe meant to debut around St. Patrick's Day, but after fans claimed the name wasn't just a reference to a drink -- evoking memories of a English-related paramilitary force noted for its harsh attacks on Irish during the 1920s it was also scrapped. And back, back in the day, Nike created (and recalled) another shoe with a logo that looked like Arabic scriptures from Allah. Let’s also not forget in 2003, a Nike basketball sneaker called ‘Loaded Weapon’, endorsed by Dwyane Wade.

What’s interesting though, is that with out the shackles the sneaker would actually be dope, but unfortunately they wouldn’t be a JS creation without some sort of outlandish feature. Some fans have went as far as boycotting the brand, dubbing them "Amistad Originals" or the "Adidas Kunta Kinte.”

What are your thoughts on the sneaks? Feel free to leave your comments below.

See More: This Latest Adidas x Jeremy Scott Collaboration Might Be A Little Too On The Wild Side (Pics)