Converse Pulls Sneaker Ad and Apologizes After Racist Imagery Backlash

Converse removed a promotional social media advertisement featuring K-pop singer Karina holding Chuck 70 X sneakers after online critics drew comparisons between the lighting on her skirt and Ku Klux Klan imagery, alongside concerns regarding the way the footwear was positioned, according to reports by Sky News, CNN, the BBC, The York Times, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The promotional photo posted to Instagram showed Karina posing in a skirt while holding up a pair of sneakers. According to coverage from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, social media users quickly lashed out over a white triangular shape created by lighting on the skirt, arguing it resembled a KKK hood. Critics also contended that the manner in which the shoes were held evoked the dangling feet of a lynching victim.

Converse Issues Apology and Removes Campaign

Converse, a subsidiary of Nike based in Boston, Massachusetts, issued a public statement apologizing for the backlash and confirming the removal of the promotional material across all platforms.

We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognise 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.

Converse

According to reporting from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Converse declined to answer additional questions concerning how the company screened advertising material prior to publication or how the specific image secured approval. Representatives for Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment Group, did not immediately respond to messages sent through their Instagram accounts.

Industry Backlash and Corporate Vetting Concerns

The backlash prompted intense debate online regarding corporate vetting processes, with many users questioning how the advertisement cleared internal marketing checks. The incident follows a pattern of recent retail controversies, such as Target Corporation pulling a children’s Halloween costume from shelves the previous month following social media backlash over minstrel caricature concerns, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Public figures weighed in on the controversy, including Texas-based civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who posted on Instagram that the brand’s apology failed to address systemic failures within corporate pipelines.

It doesn’t undo what got past legal, marketing and leadership at every step. We keep having this conversation because corporations keep failing the same test. Do better means catching this before it airs — not after we’re offended.

Lee Merritt

Founded in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1908, Converse introduced the Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker in 1917 as a non-skid basketball shoe, later adding the basketball player’s signature in 1934. The company has not announced any further administrative changes regarding its marketing review procedures following the removal of the advertisement.