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Adidas apologizes in Israel after Single Shoe controversy

9/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Adidas apologizes in Israel after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in its Single Shoe campaign.
The Single Shoe service lets amputees purchase a single shoe.
Posters with Biton and ten other disabled athletes appeared only in Adidas stores across Israel.
Pro-Palestinian activists and Spanish actor Javier Bardem called for a boycott of Adidas.
Adidas announced the service will expand to the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

History

Historical Context

Egypt and Israel ended formal war with the March 26 1979 peace treaty, witnessed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and followed by $1.3 billion in annual American aid and Egypt’s ten-year suspension from the Arab League. The 2024 Adidas shoe campaign starring Israeli amputee Shalev Biton sparked boycotts across Israel, the UAE and Palestine, echoing how commercial moves in contested regions revive historic diplomatic tensions.

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Story summary

Adidas apologizes in Israel after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in its Single Shoe campaign.
The Single Shoe service lets amputees purchase a single shoe.
Posters with Biton and ten other disabled athletes appeared only in Adidas stores across Israel.
Pro-Palestinian activists and Spanish actor Javier Bardem called for a boycott of Adidas.
Adidas announced the service will expand to the UAE, Palestine, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

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