Adidas cops flak over pride female-style swimsuit modelled by biological male

The popular sports brand has been slammed for going “woke” after it launched a female-style swimsuit modelled by a biological male.

Popular sports brand Adidas has copped flat for selling a female-style swimsuit using a model with a penis.

The swimsuit, launched as part of the brand’s Pride Rich Mnisi collection in collaboration with South African designer Rich Mnisi, is on sale in the UK for (A$93) £50. The model, who appears to be male, is 6ft 2in.

The move has prompted criticism from campaigners for women’s equality in sport, who argue that the use of a biologically male model for a women’s swimsuit creates unrealistic body expectations for women.

Former Olympian swimmer Sharron Davies wrote on social media: “Yet again a male gets paid to advertise a product that’s vastly aimed at women who are physically a different shape”.

Adidas has come under fire over its advertising of a new swimsuit. Picture: Adidas

“Adidas if you want to design a swimsuit for trans women, right on. They have different needs. But stop gaslighting women?,” Davies, who is also the author of Unfair Play, a book critiquing the inclusion of biological males in women’s sport, said.

She added that women were “having all their descriptive words and rights eroded”.

Davies opinion was shared by former NCAA swim star and women’s rights activist Riley Gaines, who tweeted: “Women’s swimsuits aren’t accessorised with a bulge”.

“I don’t understand why companies are voluntarily doing this to themselves. They could have at least said the suit is ‘unisex,’ but they didn’t because it’s about erasing women. Ever wondered why we hardly see this go the other way?”

The new Adidas Women’s Swimwear Range modeled by…men 👙🩱 pic.twitter.com/aVatbam0go

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 17, 2023

It comes after other global brands have been criticised for using biologically male trans models in advertising campaigns.

Budweiser recently faced a backlash for using trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney on its cans of Bud Light.

When Mulvaney featured in a Nike bra advert, it prompted calls to boycott the Nike brand.

At the time, Davies described using Mulvaney to promote the bra as a “kick in the teeth” for women.

Adidas has launched a new female-style swimming costume modelled by a biological male. Picture: Adidas

The new one-piece is sold in the women’s section of the Adidas US website with women’s clothing sizes but on the UK site, it is sold under its UniteFit gender-neutral sizing system.

The designer Rich Mnisi said: “In creating this collection, I had a strong impulse to speak to my inner child and express to the world how LGBTQ+ allyship can create a legacy of love.

“Unifying these themes together through my own visual language and Adidas’ iconic performance and lifestyle pieces is a powerful combination, making the collection a symbol for self-acceptance and LGBTQ+ advocacy.

“My hope is this range inspires LGBTQ+ allies to speak up more for the queer people they love and not let them fight for acceptance alone.”