Mexican artisans and authorities say the intricate leather braids look strikingly similar to the traditional footwear known as huaraches made by the Zapotec Indigenous people in Oaxaca, produced mostly in the town of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag.

The sportswear firm Adidas and Mexican-American designer Willy Chavarría have apologized after a Mexican state accused them of cultural appropriation over the design of a new shoe.

Willy Chavarria officially apologized to the people of Oaxaca on Saturday after the slip-on shoe he designed with Adidas unleashed a string of online criticism.