Free Republic

Adidas Blasted Over New 'Shackle' Sneaker Critics are fit to be tied over footwear giant Adidas' latest sneakers, which feature what looks like shackles attached to them. The JS Roundhouse Mids, which are due to be released in August, were previewed on the Adidas Originals Facebook page in a photo posted on June 14. Although the German company insists the design has nothing to do with slavery, its own promotional material isn't likely to quell criticism. “Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?” reads a tagline posted beneath the picture. Many users left comments...

A new addition to the New York Times annual Holiday Gift Guide has sparked a minor uproar after a blog devoted to critiquing the paper termed it "racist." Included in this year's guide, which was published in November, is a page titled "Of Color/Stylish Gifts." This first-time feature is described by the paper as "gifts created for and by people of color." After going virtually unnoticed by critics for a month, the guide's been widely slammed in the past week as a collection of "backhanded insults" which are "bordering on offensive" and "out of touch."