Converse pulls latest shoes ad after critics accuse of sharing 'racist' and 'reckless' KKK imagery
Converse removes sneaker ad after backlash over alleged KKK imagery
Converse, the shoe brand owned by Nike, has pulled a promotional video featuring Korean pop star Karina of aespa after it attracted widespread criticism for resembling Ku Klux Klan symbols and a lynching scene. The company issued an apology last week and said it was working to remove the ad from all platforms.
The 30‑second clip, posted to Converse’s social‑media accounts, showed Karina holding a pair of black high‑top sneakers beneath a star‑shaped spotlight while wearing a long white skirt. Some viewers noted that the arrangement of the shoes resembled a hanging victim, and that the overall look evoked the image of a hooded KKK member. The comments went viral on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, prompting a swift response from the brand’s marketing team.
“Nike and Converse, what the hell were you thinking?” tweeted U.S. Representative Troy Carter (D‑IL) on Friday. “Your campaign shows what looks like a hooded Klansman, framed by what appears to be the dangling feet of a lynching victim. There is nothing creative or artistic about it. It is racist, reckless and deeply offensive.” Carter’s statement was posted on his congressional website and shared by multiple media outlets.
Converse responded with a formal apology: “We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong. We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened, and we will do better.” The company’s statement was sent to Fox News Digital and other outlets that had reported on the incident.
Carter’s office said the apology was not sufficient. “An apology and the removal of the images are not enough,” the spokesperson said in a comment to Fox News Digital. “Nike and Converse must explain how this campaign was conceived and approved, identify those responsible, and commission an independent investigation. They must also disclose the process and establish safeguards to ensure that imagery invoking the Klan and the lynching of Black people is never approved again.”
The controversy comes amid a broader scrutiny of Nike and its subsidiaries. In late 2023, Nike’s shares fell by more than $200 billion over the past two years, and the company is slated to be removed from the S&P 100 index after nearly 18 years of membership. Critics from both sides of the political spectrum have taken issue with Nike’s marketing choices. Conservatives have accused the company of “woke” politics for partnering with progressive figures such as Colin Kaepernick and Dylan Mulvaney, while the left has criticized earlier campaigns for being insensitive, including a 2024 ad for the Boston Marathon that read “Runners welcome. Walkers tolerated,” which many called pace‑shaming.
The incident has added to a series of controversies that have weighed on the brand’s reputation. Nike’s executive team has faced calls for greater transparency about its creative approval processes, and the company’s stock has seen renewed volatility as investors weigh the brand’s future direction.
Converse’s removal of the ad and its apology mark an attempt to address the immediate backlash, but stakeholders are looking for a more thorough explanation of how the campaign slipped through internal review. Whether the brand will institute new safeguards to prevent similar incidents remains to be seen.