US fashion designer Willy Chavarria said Saturday he regrets that sandals he created together with Adidas "appropriated" a traditional design from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca."I deeply regret that this design has appropriated the name and was not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community,

Mexico’s government is seeking compensation from Adidas, accusing the sportswear giant of cultural appropriation for launching a new shoe design strikingly similar to traditional Indigenous footwear known as huaraches.

The Oaxaca Slip-On sandals were created by US fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has Mexican heritage, but drew pushback from both state and local officials in Oaxaca, which has one of the highest Indigenous populations in the country.