What's In A Name?

While to Romeo, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," this age of political correctness and long memories is certain to hold corporations, politicians and "regular" people accountable for the references they use. What to some might be benign is to others a slap in the face or a boot to the head...as Adidas found out recently when it offered a new shoe designed by Jeremy Scott (the guy who gave us sneakers with wings extending from the sides a la Mercury See above). The shoe, which featured an ornamental chain and shackle was an immediate sensation, and NOT in a good way.
Scott noted that his inspiration was a 1990's cartoon and toy named My Pet Monster which makes sense: monsters simply cannot run around loose. While critics and bloggers alike lambasted the shoe as a herald to the slave past of many Americans or "rappers glamorizing criminal behavior and prison for years," Adidas initially defended the choice as Jeremy Scott's "outrageous and unique take on fashion." anyone who has seen his previous designs might agree, but ultimately, the tsunami tide of public opinion washed away the Shackle.
But it's not like Adidas is the only shoe company this year with a foot in its mouth (so to speak). Previous to a St. Patrick's Day release of it's shoe named the Black and Tan (pictured above), Nike was hardly prepared for the backlash. While most of us think of the color combination with regard to the Irish beer Guinness, folks in Ireland have longer memories. It would seem that in the 1920's a British regiment was particularly brutal in suppressing the Irish. This group was known by the color of its uniforms which were, of course, black and tan. Naturally, Nike backed off on the name and, instead, named the shoe the Guinness...a name by which one can probably fins the shoe on EBay.
Not so the Shackle. That will never be produced.
For my money, I think it's probably like those mittens my mom used to make me wear with the string through my jacket sleeves so I wouldn't lose them.
But then, Idiot Shoes would probably not be a popular name, either.