Converse has apologized and pulled a sneaker advertisement after online critics compared its imagery to Ku Klux Klan hoods and lynching scenes.
The Nike-owned brand scrubbed the Chuck 70 X promo on Friday, September 18, following a wave of backlash that centered on K-pop star Karina, who appeared in the spot wearing a white skirt and holding shoes at her side. Observers noted that the lighting on her skirt created a pointed silhouette resembling a KKK hood, while the dangling sneakers evoked photos of lynching victims’ feet.
A Converse spokesperson addressed the controversy in a statement that day. “This should not have happened and we will do better,” the representative said. The company added in a separate message: “We’re sorry. 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.”
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt dissected the ad’s production on X, questioning how multiple layers of corporate oversight failed to catch the visual parallels before publication. “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,” Merritt wrote. “This wasn’t hidden. It was styled, lit and approved by a creative team. Someone signed off on this.”
Merritt pressed the point further in a follow-up post. “Converse says sorry. The image was still up hours later,” he continued. “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.”
The incident arrives weeks after Converse faced separate scrutiny for its Converse x Palmes campaign, which featured a man climbing a ladder while holding sneakers hanging from a tree in imagery that also drew complaints. The brand additionally weathered criticism in September 2025 over its special edition Charli XCX sneakers, whose distressed “rips” turned out to be painted-on details that disappointed buyers expecting genuine wear marks.
The Karina spot marks the third recent instance of Converse promotional material triggering widespread backlash over racially charged or misleading visual choices, intensifying pressure on the company’s creative review processes.
Converse has not announced any personnel changes or formal policy reviews in connection with the withdrawn ad.