Footwear Companies Unite Against Trump's Muslim Ban
- Feb 2, 2017
- 3 min read
These are the times that I was afraid of. It's been nothing but chaos ever since Trump took office. Again, I, as a publication of news in the free world, just cannot, and will not drive myself to recognize him as the leader of this free world. It's my personal opinion, and I understand if others, and you, the reader disagree and are on his side.
At the end of the day, that's the great thing about America: you have the right to feel however you choose to. And with that liberty, comes a line that has to be drawn, no matter whose side you're on.
Case in point, just in one week alone, three footwear giants have all spoken out formally, taking a united stand against Trump's recent ban which prevents Muslims from traveling in and out of the United States, as well as preventing travel from Islamic countries such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia & Sudan. Companies like NIKE, adidas & Asics all have taken stands against this ban, as they all have ties to international athletes in sponsoring and supporting various Olympic teams, professional sports franchises and various causes for community growth.
NIKE's CEO Mike Parker first issued a letter to the new administration signifying the company's displeasure with the ban: (Perhaps feeling the effects the most, a Muslim-born NIKE sponsored athlete is currently unable to return to the US to be with his wife and children, where he resides in Oregon.)
adidas came out on Monday in the wake of this executive order, by sending a company-wide email to all employees denouncing the ban. The email was signed by executives like Eric Liedtke & adidas' CEO Kasper Rorsted. They also released a public statement, tying into the email stating:
"Our company is built on the core belief that 'Through sport, we have the power to change lives.' Sport has shown in the past and will show over and over again in the future that it can bring people together from all over the world -- regardless of their nationality, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation," said adidas spokesperson Lauren Lamkin.
"We at adidas are proud to bring this positive power of sport to life every day at work and we cherish the diverse, international workforce we have around the globe. Some companies have already voiced their concerns about this decision and we join them in their call for an open and diverse society and culture in the U.S. and around the globe. It goes without saying that our commitment to the U.S. market and our people in America remains unchanged despite this current political climate."
Three Stripes showed a bit stronger language in their emails to their workers, stating that they are "surprised and saddened by the president's executive order restricting immigration from Muslim-majority countries; this is the wrong signal to send to the world" and also offered support to any adidas' employees affected by this order.
Kind of ironic being that Kanye West recently met with Trump a week before he was inaugurated, however the company as a whole stands on their view.
And just today, Asics has issued a statement for the public to view, posted on their company's Instagram account (@asics):
It is indeed a trivial time in the world, and I find it even more concerning, with the recent issues regarding Trump's views on trading, importing and exporting with various countries, considering 95% of the footwear industry in the United States is produced in countries overseas such as China, Korea & other Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
Time will only tell if things will change or if the messages from these companies will make an impact. Personally, I hope that these messages will cause conversation and help ease these situations.
What do you think? Will these messages from these powerhouses have impact? Will other brands speak up? Will New Balance, a company that has shown to be for Trump have a response? Leave your comments below.
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