A wave of criticism and calls for a global boycott have turned Adidas into the center of an unprecedented viral storm in recent days. At the heart of the storm is Shalev Biton, who served as a fighter in the Nahal Brigade's 931st Battalion. In 2021, during Operation Guardian of the Walls, he was severely wounded after an anti-tank missile fired from the Gaza Strip struck a military vehicle near the border. Following a series of surgeries, his left leg was amputated, and he later underwent extensive rehabilitation, after which he returned to running with a prosthetic.
Behind the controversy is the company's Single Shoe service, a global initiative that allows consumers and athletes who need only one shoe, such as amputees, to purchase a single shoe at half price instead of buying a full pair at full price, as they have been forced to do until now. The service first launched in Europe in January 2026.
ADIDAS launches "SINGLE-SHOE SERVICE" for Israeli soldiers who lost a foot in Gaza.
Boycotting is the least we can do. pic.twitter.com/0MkbKS4KUD
— The Resonance (@Partisan_12) September 3, 2026
As part of the company's advertising campaign in Israel for the Hyperboost running shoes, Biton was chosen as one of 11 local presenters, sharing the ad on his social media accounts and describing the service's launch as a dream come true.
Inciteful posts against Israel
However, on social media, the company's ads were presented in a distorted and deliberate light to manufacture a provocation against Israel, a move that gained momentum within days and went viral, racking up millions of views, shares, comments, and inciting posts against Israel.
Pro-Palestinian accounts and online activists exploited Biton's participation to create a deliberate provocation. They chose to omit the fact that the service is a broad offering for amputees and that he was one of 11 participants, instead presenting him as the campaign's exclusive presenter for the brand, under false claims that he "took part in genocide in Gaza."
The posts, which at times included imagery such as a bleeding logo, garnered millions of views and thousands of shares online under the hashtag #BoycottAdidas. They were accompanied by cynical comparisons between Biton and Palestinian children who lost limbs, alongside misleading accusations that Adidas was giving a platform to a soldier who fought in Gaza while blatantly ignoring civilians, with some responses including offensive images and imagery and harsh calls against the German brand.
The Oscar winner who backed the boycott
Public figures and influencers with massive followings worldwide joined the wave of protest. Among the most prominent was Spanish actor and Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who shared an Instagram story with an explicit call to boycott Adidas, claiming the company supports Israel and genocide.
He was joined by other recognizable names, including Pakistani author and journalist Fatima Bhutto, American influencer Guy Christensen, and sports journalist
Leyla Hamed, who also called for a halt to purchases of the company's products, described the choice of Biton as disgusting.
Alongside the boycott calls, counter-voices also emerged online from users who praised the Adidas initiative for people with disabilities and stressed that making sports accessible to amputees should be free of political and national considerations.
Meanwhile, the storm also took a personal toll on Biton himself. On Saturday night, Shalev updated in a story on his personal Instagram account that his page had come under a fierce attack from pro-Palestinian users and was facing possible closure due to a flood of reports and hateful comments on his profile, asking his followers to support his page to prevent its closure.
Adidas said in a statement, "Adidas launched Single Shoe in Europe in January 2026, a service that allows consumers and athletes who need only one shoe to purchase a single shoe instead of a pair. The service was developed in cooperation with communities and professional organizations, including the British Paralympic Association, as part of Adidas' commitment to expanding accessibility to sport. The service initially launched in 23 countries in Europe and has since expanded to additional countries in Asia and the Middle East. We are aware that interpretations in recent days have misrepresented the purpose of the service. It is important to clarify that this is a global initiative intended to expand choice and accessibility for athletes and consumers around the world."
