Reebok announced — and then quickly rescinded — plans to sell a special-edition sneaker commemorating Israel’s 68th birthday.
On May 10, one day after Reebok Israel said it would market a blue-and-white sneaker engraved with “Israel 68” as a collector’s item for sale in Israel and internationally, the international sportswear firm said the announcement had been made in error, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Reebok said the initial announcement stemmed from a miscommunication, and that the Israel shoe had merely been proposed by an independent designer but not accepted. The company added that a local designer had customized a personal layout using the company’s website, which allows users to make their own designs, the Jerusalem Post reported. The local designer then drafted a statement, along with “the model of the shoe” and sent it to the local Reebok distributor.
A company representative said Reebok avoids distributing shoes connected to national emblems or countries, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“Reebok would like to distance itself from the shoe,” Reebok International said in a statement. “The shoe was a one-off initiative from one of our partners. We do not support this initiative.”
The company added: “Reebok believes in the unifying power of sport. Our main focus and priority is to inspire people everywhere to be their absolute best — physically, mentally and socially.”
Initial reports about the Independence Day sneaker quoted Moshe Sinai, the CEO of Reebok Israel, saying it would be sold on Israel’s Independence Day, May 12, in an auction on Reebok’s Facebook page and that all proceeds would be donated to the organization Crossfit Without Borders, a group for people with mental disabilities.
According to Electronic Intifada, a pro-Palestinian news site, social media users “reacted with outrage” to the apparently erroneous announcement, with many calling for a boycott of Reebok’s products. — jta