Manolo says, at 45% off of the regular price, it would be foolish to pass up these thoroughly practical, thoroughly handsome loafers, the Olympia from the Kate Spade New York. These could easily become one of the staples of your workaday wardrobe.
Manolo says, no, these are not the clever fake, these are the Jeremy Scott x Adidas Roundhouse Mid “Handcuffs” sneakers, priced at $350.
And yes, the symbolism of the basketball shoe with the make-believe leg shackles has not be lost upon many outside of the world of fashion designers.
Adidas has sparked outrage and been accused of ‘promoting slavery’ by creating a new pair of trainers which have bright orange ‘shackles’ that fit around the wearer’s ankles.
The clothing giant is under fire for its August scheduled release of the JS Roundhouse Mids, which many have compared to the devices worn by black slaves in 19th Century America.
The seemingly innocent promotional material, uploaded to Facebook earlier this month, asks: ‘Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?’
But the shoes have sparked angry debate online, with many saying there is a more cynical tone to the advertisement.
More than 2,000 people have labelled the design ‘offensive’ and ‘ignorant’ and say the firm has ‘sunk to new lows’ in its ‘slavewear’ product.
Dr Boyce Watkins, writing for Your Black World, said: “Shackles. The stuff that our ancestors wore for 400 years while experiencing the most horrific atrocities imaginable.
“Most of which were never documented in the history books and kept away from you in the educational system, all so you’d be willing to put shackles on your ankles today and not be so sensitive about it.”
Sadly, people in the fashion industry–fashion designers, promoters, and publicists–are not known for their keen knowledge of history, and thus this sort of thing seems to happen with depressing regularity.
Although, rarely do these transgressions involve such aggressive stupidity…
Manolo says, here are the few things which may amuse…
Whether it’s a delicate buckle or a stronger strap hugging your ankles, it’s a surprisingly sexy look—dressed up or down
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When you look at that impossibly proportioned Edwardian gown, don’t you wonder how tiny that waistband actually is? I know I do!
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Now 30, Mr. Cohen has staked out a turf in the blogosphere that is distinctly his own, politely stalking voguish ladies of a certain age just because he can. They inspire him, he said, with their startling freedom and poise.
Manolo says, here, from the Vanity Fair photo retrospective of Elizabethan hats, comes the most shocking photo ever of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
It is 1954, and in Australia for one, brief, glorious moment, the Queen is perfectly au courant. She is not the redoubtable, middle-class matron who visits hospitals and endures the antics of her louche children, but rather the stunningly-attired, 28-year-old, semi-hotty.
Everything about this is exactly perfect, from the hat to the shoes, from the gloves to the lace. This is the example of how the woman who has not been granted great beauty, can none-the-less become mesmerizing through the use of beautiful clothing and proper carriage.
It is Monday, and you are back at your desk eagerly awaiting your two weeks of vacation, which you are certain will arrive….any….minute…..nooooooooooow.
Actually, the vacation of the summer, it is still three weeks away, but you are so eager for it that you can hardly contain your visible impatience with your coworkers at the InEmTechCo, Inc.
For the example, just this morning you came that close (holding fingers one micron apart) to almost telling off Angry Anna the IT Girl, which would have been very bad indeed, as it is Angry Anna who must summoned when something goes wrong on your floor.
But, you restrained yourself, although your were mightily provoked, and now you are back sitting in your chair staring at the wall calendar of hunky firemen you keep stashed in your desk drawer, onto which you have marked with the big red “X’s” each passing day.
The saddest thing of all, is that you really don’t have that much planned for your two weeks off; partly the staycation, partly the few days at the beach. Nothing spectacular, like WhatzHerName in Accounting, who is still dining (lunching) out on her trip to Angor Wat two years ago.
Fat chance getting Gary to go to Angor Wat!
“Argentina, Babe. For the steak,” he said, when you asked where he wanted to go when you finally won the lottery, “Or Mike Ditka’s in Chicago, ditto.”
Look! Here is something that will make you put Mr. Fireman June back into his desk drawer, shoes!
The gorgeous, deep-purple, Satin Sandals from Roberto Cavalli!