American sneaker brand Converse has removed a social media advertisement and issued a public apology after critics said the image evoked symbols associated with the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. The ad, posted on Instagram, featured South Korean K-pop singer Karina holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers while wearing a skirt. Critics pointed out that a triangular patch of light falling on the skirt resembled the white pointed hood worn by KKK members, and that the way the sneakers hung from her hand looked like the dangling feet of a lynching victim. The image spread widely online before being taken down, ensuring the controversy outlasted the ad itself.
Converse, owned by sportswear giant Nike and headquartered in Boston, released a statement on Friday acknowledging the error. "We're sorry," the company said. "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." As of Sunday, the company declined to answer further questions, including how the ad had cleared its internal review process. Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment Group, had not responded to requests for comment.
The apology did little to satisfy many critics, who questioned how the image had passed through multiple layers of legal, marketing, and executive oversight without anyone raising concerns. Texas-based civil rights attorney Lee Merritt captured the widespread frustration in an Instagram post, writing that the apology "doesn't undo what got past legal, marketing and leadership at every step." He added: "'Do better' means catching this before it airs — not after we're offended." Some online commenters, however, defended Converse, arguing the resemblance was unintentional.
The Ku Klux Klan, founded in the southern United States at the end of the Civil War in 1865 and historically known for its white robes and pointed hoods, is widely regarded as the oldest and most notorious racist organization in the country. Its members terrorized freed Black Americans and, over successive waves of the movement, targeted Jewish people, immigrants, and other minorities.
The incident is the latest in a series of corporate stumbles over racially insensitive imagery. Just weeks earlier, retail chain Target pulled a children's Halloween costume from shelves after critics said it evoked racist minstrel caricatures. For Converse, a brand whose Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker has been a cultural icon since its 1917 debut, the episode raises difficult questions about whether diversity and sensitivity reviews inside major corporations are genuinely equipped to catch such imagery before it reaches the public.