You may be familiar with the term “Design is subjective.” However, some major brands designing sponsored athlete uniforms for the upcoming Olympics have faced criticism for their designs. In April, Nike came under scrutiny after unveiling their track and field uniform designs. While fans found the men’s uniforms somewhat satisfactory, there was widespread displeasure with the women’s leotard design.

The track and field community didn’t approve of the extremely narrow bottom part of the Nike uniform. Retired U.S. 5000m champion Lauren Fleshman wrote female athletes would have to worry about putting “every vulnerable piece of your body on display,” while wearing the bodysuit. Unfortunately, people have criticized the Adidas track leotard, worn by Anna Hall, Gabrielle Jennings, and others for a similar design choice.

Fans on Reddit posted images of Anna Hall and Gabrielle Jennings wearing the two-tone leotard. However, criticism centered around the two-tone leotard’s emphasis on certain parts of the body. Adidas attempted to achieve a sleeker look with color-blocking, but the design element at the bottom created an illusion of a high-cut similar to Nike’s controversial high-cut suit.

Unfortunately, the Adidas track and field suit didn’t receive positive reviews, similar to the reception of Nike’s leotard that preceded it. The sleek look Adidas aimed for might have been better received on Anna Hall’s yellow and pink suit, which featured sleeves. However, fans felt the renowned brand completely missed the mark with the sleeveless version worn by Jennings during the Olympic Trial heats.

The Track and field community didn’t pull any punches

Redditors had strong opinions on the Adidas design and didn’t hold back with their furious criticism. “Using leading lines to call attention to the crotch is f***ing disgusting and whoever made this should be jailed,” commented one individual. The fan sounded furious because Adidas didn’t just use color-blocking, they highlighted the contrast with borders to make the shades pop.

Meanwhile, one user found another potential design flaw that may bother athletes on the track. “Not just the crotches… Why are there zippers on compression suits? I bet those get uncomfortable rubbing against the skin while running,” the track and field enthusiast questioned in the comments. However, on closer inspection, the suits have an inner lining attached to the zipper, preventing it from scraping against the skin.

The tack and field community found the design so atrocious, that one user even defended the controversial Nike design. “The Nike ones everyone was throwing a fit about actually look good,” claimed that fan. The Reddit user even went as far as saying, “These are 100x worse.” With 78 likes, it was one of the most-liked comments on the post, indicating that at least a few agreed.

While a design may indeed be subjective, it seems even a 10-year-old disliked Adidas’ newest one. “Even my ten-year-old daughter said something,” commented one individual. While the fan didn’t reveal what she said, it’s safe to assume the child didn’t praise the leotard. “(I) Believe the question is does anyone not hate them?” commented another who agreed with the nearly universal negative feedback from the track and field community. What did you think of the Adidas design? Share your thoughts in the comments.