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Converse apologizes and pulls ad that critics said evoked racist imagery

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Sneaker company removes social media ad after backlash from critics who said it resembled KKK imagery The sneaker company Converse has removed a social media ad that sparked outrage among critics who viewed it as evoking the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. The Instagram ad photo showed K-pop singer Karina wearing a skirt and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers.

Critics lashed out online, saying that a white triangular image created by lighting on the skirt resembled a KKK hood – and that the way she held the sneakers made them look like the dangling feet of a lynching victim.

Read the original report at The Guardian.

Sources and context

The Guardian

Source headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-09-22. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.