Adidas apologises after Israel ad campaign sparks backlash
The campaign featured Shalev Biton, whose left leg was amputated after he was wounded in 2021. Adidas' "Single Shoe" initiative allows people with limb differences to buy an individual shoe for 50% of the price of a pair
Adidas has apologised following backlash and boycott calls over a local advertising campaign in Israel promoting its "Single Shoe" service, which featured a former Israeli soldier who lost his left leg after being wounded while serving in the military.
The campaign featured Shalev Biton, whose left leg was amputated after he was wounded in 2021. Adidas' "Single Shoe" initiative allows people with limb differences to buy an individual shoe for 50% of the price of a pair, says Andalou Ajansi.
The campaign drew criticism from pro-Palestinian activists and high-profile figures, including Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who objected to the decision to feature a former Israeli soldier in an advertising campaign focused on amputees.
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Critics also pointed to the thousands of Palestinians who have lost limbs during the war in Gaza. The World Health Organization estimated in May that more than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations had occurred in Gaza since October 2023.
Adidas apologised in response to the backlash, saying the posters were a "local activation" rather than a global campaign. The company said it never intended to cause offence.
The controversy is the latest involving Adidas and its activities connected to Israel and Palestine over the past 15 years.
Jerusalem Marathon
In 2012, Adidas faced boycott calls from Arab sports officials over its sponsorship of the Jerusalem Marathon, whose route crossed through Occupied East Jerusalem.
The company was no longer a sponsor of the event the following year.
Israel Football Association sponsorship
In 2018, more than 130 Palestinian football clubs and sports associations called on Adidas to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association (IFA), citing the inclusion of clubs based in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Adidas eventually ended its sponsorship of the association, although it did not publicly link the decision to the campaign.
Bella Hadid shoe campaign
In 2024, Adidas faced a major social media backlash and boycott calls after removing Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid from a retro shoe campaign tied to the 1972 Munich Olympics, following criticism from Israel.
Adidas later apologised for what it called an "unintentional mistake", but did not reinstate Hadid.
