Converse Apologizes, Removes Ad After KKK Comparisons
Converse Apologizes, Removes Ad After KKK Comparisons
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Key Points
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The Chuck 70 X image featured K-pop star Karina of the girl group Aespa and promoted both the Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers.
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The separate image came from the Converse x Palmes campaign for the Jack Purcell PDM collection and showed one man climbing a ladder while holding shoes dangling from a tree, with another man looking up.
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Converse’s apology said, “This should not have happened, and we will do better,” while the company was still working to remove the image from every location where it had appeared.
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The images drew public criticism from recognizable figures including Community actor Yvette Nicole Brown, who amplified the controversy online.
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Reports differed on the campaign’s online status: one report said the image remained on Converse’s Threads account, while another said the picture was still displayed on the company’s official website despite the backlash.
Converse apologized and began removing advertisements after social media users said the images evoked Ku Klux Klan hoods and lynching violence. One Chuck 70 X campaign photo featuring K-pop star Karina showed her in white holding sneakers next to a pointed, spotlighted shape that critics said resembled dangling legs. Metro reported that a separate Converse x Palmes image depicted shoes hanging from a tree, drawing similar backlash.
The company issued a statement saying Star-Telegram reported: 'This should not have happened, and we will do better.' Converse acknowledged the images were deeply upsetting and committed to removing them from all channels. However, some versions remained visible online despite the removal efforts, and critics questioned how such designs cleared the company's advertising review process.
K-pop Star Campaign Drew Immediate Backlash
The Chuck 70 X campaign featured Karina of the girl group Aespa promoting both the Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers. Yahoo Malaysia reported that the image showed Karina in a white outfit holding shoes beside a pointed, spotlighted geometric shape. Critics on social media argued the composition resembled a KKK hood and that the shoes appeared to look like hanging legs.
Community actor Yvette Nicole Brown amplified the controversy online by publicly criticizing the imagery. The backlash spread rapidly across social media platforms as users flagged what they saw as extremely offensive racial symbolism in a major brand's official advertising.
Second Converse Campaign Also Featured Hanging Shoes
A separate image from the Converse x Palmes campaign for the Jack Purcell PDM collection drew similar criticism. Ledger-Enquirer reported that the photo showed one man climbing a ladder while holding shoes dangling from a tree, with another man looking up at the scene. The composition sparked immediate comparisons to lynching imagery.
Like the Chuck 70 X image, this campaign poster drew outrage on social media. Both images raised questions about how Nike-owned Converse's creative and advertising teams allowed such sensitive visual compositions to move forward in their approval process.
Company Vows Changes But Images Still Linger Online
Converse stated it was working to remove the images from every location where they appeared. However, reports indicated some versions remained visible on the company's official social media accounts and website even after the apology and removal announcement. Sacramento Bee noted that images persisted on multiple platforms.
The company said it understood why the images were upsetting and acknowledged it had failed in its responsibility. Critics noted that no evidence suggested intentional racism, but the incident exposed gaps in how major brands review advertising for potential offensive imagery before launch.
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