Converse apologises and pulls 'deeply upsetting' advert after being KKK comparisons

Converse apologises and pulls 'deeply upsetting' advert after being KKK comparisons Converse apologised and said 'we will do better' after an advert it posted for a pair of shoes was accused of causing upset The footwear brand Converse has pulled an advert after it was accused of evoking Ku Klux Klan imagery through the photo posted on social media. The famous American brand posted an ad for its Chuck 70 X trainer which showed the K-pop star Karina, from the girl group Aespa, wearing a white skirt holding a pair of the shoes by her side. The photo drew backlash from social media users who said a shadow on the skirt resembled a white pointed hood, which is linked to the American white supremacist hate group. Converse issued an apology after it pulled the post and said: "This should not have happened and we will do better." Other social media users also criticised a pair of shoes dangling in the image, which was likened by some people online to an image of a lynching victim. In the apology from Converse, issued on Friday, the brand also said: "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 apology came after the post led to widespread backlash from social media users. American civil right lawyer and activist Lee Merritt, on X, said: "A Converse ad shows a woman wearing white attire lit to form what looks like a KKK hood. Sneakers dangling beside her, read by many as lynching imagery." He added: "An apology 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." Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter condemned the brand, asking "what the hell were you thinking?" He said: "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." Another person on X wrote: "Even if the intent was unintentional, the tone deafness of the entire campaign is shocking." Converse was founded in Massachusetts in the early 1900s and became a hugely popular brand after it released the Chuck Taylor sneaker in US basketball courts in 1917. The brand was acquired by sports giant Nike in 2003. The Mirror had reached out to Nike, which owns Converse, for comment.