Adidas has come under fire in Turkey for failing to disclose that its popular “Samba OG” sneakers contained pigskin, leading to a fine of over $15,000 from the country’s advertising regulator.
The German sportswear giant was penalized 550,059 Turkish lira ($15,200) for marketing the trainers—worn by celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid—as “real leather” without mentioning the pigskin component.
The regulator emphasized that materials “contrary to the religious sensibilities of the majority of society” must be explicitly stated in advertisements and product descriptions.
Adidas acknowledged the fine and confirmed that it had updated the product description on its Turkish e-commerce website. “Following an individual notification regarding a product description on our Turkish e-com website, we have updated the material specifications for the product accordingly,” the company stated.
In 2020, Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs ruled that manufacturing shoes or garments from pigskin is “not permissible,” a stance widely accepted by Muslim scholars.