Converse has apologized and pulled a sneaker advertisement after social media users said elements of the campaign resembled Ku Klux Klan and lynching imagery.
The controversy centered on an advertisement featuring Karina, a member of the K-pop group Aespa, as part of Converse’s campaign promoting its Chuck 70 X sneakers in Asian markets. The image showed Karina wearing a white skirt, standing over a star-shaped spotlight and holding a pair of black Converse shoes at her side.
Criticism spread online after some viewers argued that the combination of the white, pointed shape created by the spotlight and Karina’s clothing evoked the appearance of a Ku Klux Klan hood. Others said the dangling sneakers carried associations with lynching.
The comparison reflected viewers’ interpretation of the advertisement; there has been no evidence presented that Converse intended to include KKK or lynching symbolism.
A second Converse-related advertisement also drew criticism. That image showed models using a wooden ladder to reach sneakers hanging from a tree branch. The Los Angeles Times reported that the two images fueled the broader backlash surrounding the brand.
Converse responded Friday by apologizing and announcing that the disputed imagery was being removed.
“We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong,” the company said in a statement.
“We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared,” Converse continued. “This should not have happened and we will do better.”
The company also halted the advertising campaign and removed the disputed ad from its social media channels, according to the original report.
The response came after criticism from consumers and public figures.
Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) criticized Converse and parent company Nike over the campaign, saying imagery involving white hoods and people hanging from trees carries a particularly painful historical meaning for Black Americans.
“Where I come from, the image of Black people hanging from trees is not ancient history,” Carter said in a statement, arguing that an apology alone was insufficient.
Other social media users questioned how the photographs made it through the company’s approval process, while some acknowledged that offensive intent had not been established but argued that the visual impact remained a problem.
The episode quickly spread beyond the original Karina advertisement as users circulated screenshots and debated whether the imagery was accidental or should have been caught before publication.
Converse, founded more than a century ago and owned by Nike, has not publicly said that racist imagery was intentionally incorporated into the campaign.
The company’s statement instead acknowledged the reaction to the visual elements and said it was taking steps to remove the material, per The Gateway Pundit.
Karina, who was featured in the primary advertisement at the center of the controversy, has not been accused of designing or approving the campaign, and the available reporting does not indicate that she was involved in its creative direction.
The backlash adds Converse to a growing list of major brands that have withdrawn advertisements or product imagery after audiences said visual elements carried unintended racial or historical associations.
