Adidas has shared a collage of 25 different pairs of bare breasts on its social media as it promotes its extensive collection of sports bras for women “of all shapes and sizes”.
In posts to Twitter and Instagram on Wednesday 9 February, the sportswear maker announced that its new sports bra range contains 43 styles, “so everyone can find the right fit for them”.
It shared a photograph of dozens of naked torsos of women from a range of ethnicities.
“We believe women’s breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort,” the brand said.
The posts have received a mixed response from social media users.
Some have praised the brand for promoting diversity and not censoring women’s bodies.
“I appreciate this so much,” one woman wrote. Another person said: “As a father of two daughters that played sports this is way overdue. Thank you. A lot of girls give up sports because they can’t find the right fit to stay comfortable.”
However, some women accused the brand of sexism and “using” women’s bodies for profit.
“Would you do this with men’s genitals? Is this ad directed towards men? Women already know what shapes, sizes and colours breasts come in,” one person wrote.
“I’m all for boobies and positivity but like...what are they selling? Shouldn’t it at least show how their ‘body positive’ bras support all different kinds of boobies? Or is this just another shock ad designed only to generate revenue by using women’s bodies? Exhausting,” another person said.
Adidas has since responded to the criticisms, writing in a tweet: “We want to celebrate bodies in all their glory and proudly showcase how different we all are.”
Responding to another Twitter user who accused the retailer of publishing “soft porn”, the brand said: “Breasts are a natural part of the anatomy. It’s time to remove the stigma to allow future generations to flourish.
“It’s important to normalise the human body and help inspire future generations to feel confident and unashamed.”
Adidas has extended its range of sports bras to include 43 different styles, available in 72 sizes, after studies estimated that 90 per cent of women aren’t wearing the right size.
Professor Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, head of the research group in breast health at the University of Portsmouth said many people are misinformed about the importance of wearing a supportive sports bra during exercise.
“Unknown to many, athletes may require the same amount of breast support during power walking as they do during sprinting, and a lack of support has the potential to cause irreversible damage. Breast movement in sport continues to be an area that is overlooked,” Wakefield-Scurr said.
