Adidas Faces Backlash Over Mexico Jersey Collection Amid Labor and Cultural Exploitation Claims

Mexico City — Adidas launched a special edition Mexico national team jersey collection on Monday amid accusations of labor exploitation and cultural appropriation from indigenous artisans in Puebla.

The German sportswear giant unveiled its ‘Someone Somewhere’ line at an exclusive restaurant in Mexico City’s Roma neighborhood, inviting select influencers and brand staff. The collection features 2,026 pieces — a nod to the World Cup year — priced between 2,999 and 4,999 pesos ($150–$250). Each jersey is hand-embroidered with green, white, and red threads, colors of the Mexican flag.

But the launch was overshadowed by a complaint from Tatiana Bernaldez, a semiotician and expert in textile symbolism from Naupan, Puebla. Bernaldez told reporters that Adidas allegedly paid local artisans only 36 pesos ($1.80) per hour and failed to provide promised health insurance.

Bernaldez also criticized the designs, saying the eagle motif does not represent Naupan’s traditional iconography. She accused the company of using the community’s name without employing their authentic techniques, such as counted thread or “pepenado” stitching.

“They just filled it with logos of the national team,” Bernaldez said. “It’s as if they used the name of a random community. They are distorting indigenous culture — it’s an affront to the cultural rights of the people of Naupan.”

Adidas restricted media access at the event, turning away reporters, saying it was not a Q&A session. A company statement described the collection as generating “more than 165,000 hours of fair work” and said each jersey features hand-embroidered details that cannot be replicated industrially.

Just half a block from the launch venue, artisans from Puebla and Oaxaca set up a stall selling traditional crafts and unofficial Mexico jerseys for 500 pesos ($25) — a direct contrast to the official collection’s prices. The parallel market highlighted the economic gap between the multinational brand and the communities it claims to support.