Adidas is in hot water in Mexico after officials accused the brand of using Indigenous designs from Oaxaca without permission. It’s the latest in a string of complaints against major fashion labels — past targets have included Shein, Zara, Carolina Herrera, and Louis Vuitton.

Mexico’s Deputy Culture Minister Marina Nunez said Adidas has reached out to local officials to discuss “restitution to the people who were plagiarised.” The contested sneakers were designed by Willy Chavarria, a U.S.-born creative with Mexican-American roots, who previously told Sneaker News that he aimed to celebrate his heritage through the collaboration.

But for many Oaxacan artisans, the shoes miss the mark. Handicrafts aren’t just art in Mexico — they’re an economic lifeline, supporting around 500,000 people nationwide and making up as much as 10% of GDP in states like Oaxaca.

Viridiana Jarquin Garcia, a huarache maker in Oaxaca City, dismissed the sneakers as a “cheap copy.” Standing at her booth of handmade leather shoes, she lamented, “The artistry is being lost. We’re losing our tradition.”