Adidas has released a statement on Monday in which it apologizes for having included in an advertising campaign for its 'Single Shoe' service, aimed at the sale of a single shoe for amputees or people with differences in their limbs, a former Israeli soldier who lost his left leg in 2021 during clashes with militias from the Gaza Strip, including the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
"We recognize that an image used in a recent local campaign has generated concern and strong reactions. It was never our intention to offend, and we apologize to those who have been affected," states the note published on social media by the Adidas Arabia account, which claims to take "into account the expressed concerns" and to take "the comments" received "very seriously."
At the same time, the company emphasizes that "inclusion is a fundamental value" for the brand and that the service promoted in the questioned campaign "is part of this ongoing commitment" and is "designed to better serve the people for whom a pair of traditional shoes does not meet their needs."
"The service continues to expand across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Egypt," adds Adidas, which avoids mentioning Israel at this point.
The Arab division of the German multinational also emphasizes that it "maintains a long-standing commitment to the communities it serves, working alongside athletes, teams, and sports communities throughout the region, in addition to supporting individuals and communities in need through product donations."
The protagonist of the controversy is Shalev Biton, who lost a leg while serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and was one of the ten athletes with disabilities who appeared in a series of posters placed in Adidas stores throughout Israel.
On May 12, 2021, as part of an Israeli military offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he was injured when an anti-tank missile launched from within the enclave struck the military vehicle he was traveling in, on the Israeli side of the border. Biton suffered serious injuries and his companion, Sergeant First Class Omer Tabib, died, according to the newspaper 'The Times of Israel.'
According to this medium, the posters in which Biton appeared were used only in Israel and did not respond to a global campaign, while the video in Hebrew that provoked the controversy did not refer to his military career or the circumstances in which he lost his leg. Despite this, Adidas was the subject of harsh criticism for associating with the former Israeli soldier, in a context marked by the high number of amputees in the Gaza Strip —especially minors— as a result of the Israeli attacks on the enclave.