Converse pulls ad after accusations of Ku Klux Klan references

The American shoe brand Converse has withdrawn an advertisement for a sneaker model and apologized after a barrage of criticism on social networks accusing it of references to the supremacist imagery of the Ku Klux Klan. The removed ad was part of a promotional campaign for a Chuck 70 X sneaker model, launched internationally on August 27.

The ad, originally posted on Converse's Instagram account, showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a white skirt and holding a pair of black sneakers by the laces. Internet users thought they detected in the lighting on the skirt the shape of a pointed white hood, comparable to those of the Klan, and saw in the hanging sneakers a reference to the hangings of victims lynched by white supremacists.

“We are sorry. We understand how deeply disturbing this image is and we recognize that we were wrong,” Converse apologized in a statement to American media. “This should not have happened,” added the brand, specifying that it had removed the campaign from all its communication channels and was working to remove it from any other medium on which it could still be accessible.

Converse is owned by the American sports clothing and equipment group Nike. The Converse brand experienced a sharp decline in its results with a drop of a third in its sales over one year, according to figures published at the end of June by Nike.