While the Cuban regime rallied people this Friday for the May Day march under the theme of peace and against the so-called "genocidal blockade," social media erupted over images showing ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel sporting Adidas Retropy F2 'Legacy Indigo Red' sneakers, valued around $1,449 on e-commerce platforms.
The event, relocated from the Plaza de la Revolución to the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Platform across from the U.S. Embassy on Havana's Malecón, gathered the regime's top brass.
The leader's footwear notably overshadowed the political rhetoric of the day.
Journalist Mario J. Pentón bluntly highlighted on Facebook, "Just the cost of Díaz-Canel and (Foreign Minister) Bruno Rodríguez's sneakers could sustain a Cuban family for six months."
X user @NavaMayelin directly addressed the leader, "Look, shameless, while you starve this nation into hunger, misery, and deprivation, you wear these expensive shoes. You're fooling no one."
The disparity is glaring. Cuban retirees earn less than five dollars monthly, and many workers make no more than 15 dollars, amidst power outages lasting up to twenty hours, and shortages of food and medicine, with public transportation in shambles.
What unfolded this Friday isn't an isolated incident but part of a well-documented pattern of ostentatious displays that has persisted for years.
In October 2024, Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero marched in solidarity with Palestine in front of the same U.S. Embassy, wearing Nike and Skechers sneakers priced over $100.
In November 2025, the leader was photographed during a volunteer workday in Artemisa, clad in high-end Adidas sportswear, sparking widespread ridicule online.
In May 2025, during his visit to Moscow for Victory Day, he was seen wearing a Rolex GMT-Master II "Batman," valued between 14,000 and 18,000 euros, and a Hermès silk tie priced at $285, while urging the Cuban people for "creative resistance."
This behavior traces back at least to 2018 when the official newspaper Granma published a photo of Díaz-Canel visiting cyclone-affected areas in a Lacoste shirt, priced between 85 and 175 euros, under the headline "Facing Problems with Sensitivity."
As analyst Carlos Cabrera Pérez wrote in 2018, when the Lacoste shirt controversy erupted, "A dictatorial and impoverished Cuba views these displays as a slap from those who have turned the discourse of poverty into their favorite liturgy."
FAQs on Díaz-Canel's Luxury Footwear Controversy
What type of sneakers did Díaz-Canel wear during the May Day march?
Díaz-Canel wore Adidas Retropy F2 'Legacy Indigo Red' sneakers, valued around $1,449.
How did social media react to Díaz-Canel's choice of footwear?
Social media erupted with criticism, highlighting the disparity between the leader's luxurious lifestyle and the economic hardships faced by ordinary Cubans.
Is this incident considered an isolated event?
No, it is part of a longstanding pattern of opulent displays by Cuban leaders, documented over several years.