German sportswear giant Adidas is facing backlash after featuring Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in a campaign for its One Shoe Service, an initiative allowing customers who need only one shoe to purchase it at half the price of a pair.
Biton lost his left leg after being critically wounded while serving in Gaza during Israel’s 2021 military assault on the territory.
Taking to Instagram, Biton announced his involvement in the initiative on August 26, saying that his “dream has come true”. He said the service was inspired by his own experience of needing only one shoe after losing his left leg.
In his Hebrew-language post, Biton said he had repeatedly been required to buy a full pair of running shoes despite using only one. He described the initiative as a response to what he called a simple but significant need for people in similar circumstances.
The One Shoe Service, launched by Adidas Israel, allows customers to buy a single running shoe for 50 percent of the price of a pair.
“Now, all that remains is to go out and run,” Biton wrote.
Online backlash and boycott calls
The campaign has sparked criticism on social media, with users calling for a boycott of Adidas over its decision to feature Biton.
Critics questioned the use of an Israeli soldier in a campaign focused on inclusivity and support for amputees. Several posts contrasted the initiative with the large number of Palestinians in Gaza who have suffered life-changing injuries and amputations during Israel’s war on the territory.
The criticism comes amid the heavy human toll of the war in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed and injured tens of thousands of Palestinians, while many survivors have suffered permanent injuries, including limb loss.
Adidas faced earlier controversy
This is not the first time Adidas has faced backlash over a campaign linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In July 2024, the German sportswear giant withdrew and revised an advertising campaign featuring Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid for its SL72 trainers after criticism over the campaign’s association with the 1972 Munich Olympics. The shoe was first released around the time of the Games, during which 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer were killed in an attack.
Adidas apologised and said it had made an “unintentional mistake”, while also announcing changes to the campaign.
