Adidas, a German sporting goods company, has been fined more than $15,000 by Turkey for not disclosing to consumers that one of its flagship shoe models included pigskin.
The advertising watchdog in the Muslim-majority nation criticized Adidas for claiming that their “Samba OG” sneakers, worn by models Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner in recent years, are made of “real leather” without mentioning that the leather comes from pigs.
The use of materials “contrary to the religious sensibilities of the majority of society must be clearly mentioned” in advertisements and product descriptions, according to a ruling seen by AFP.
The regulator imposed a fine of 550,059 lira ($15,200) fine in response.
Adidas did not immediately respond when contacted by AFP for comment.
It was declared “not permissible to manufacture shoes or garments from pigskin or pigskin hair” by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs in 2020.
It stated, “Almost all Muslim scholars agree that tanning or similar methods cannot purify pigskin.”
