Converse has withdrawn a social media advertisement featuring K-pop artist Karina following widespread criticism that the imagery inadvertently evoked racist symbolism.
The Instagram post showed the singer wearing a skirt while holding a pair of Chuck 70 X sneakers. Critics argued that a white triangular shape created by lighting on the garment resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood, while the positioning of the footwear was interpreted by some as depicting dangling feet, evoking lynching imagery. The KKK is a U.S. white supremacist group historically associated with racial violence and intimidation.
Converse, a subsidiary of Nike headquartered in Boston, issued a statement apologizing and confirming the ad’s removal. “We’re sorry,” the statement read. “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. This should not have happened and we will do better.”
The incident has polarized online discourse. While many condemned the imagery as shameful, others defended Karina and accused the brand of capitulating to manufactured outrage. Reactions on X highlighted the divide:
“If you have to crop it, squint, and write a 12-tweet thread to make a sneaker commercial look like a hate crime, maybe the controversy isn’t in the ad. Maybe it’s in the people hunting for it.”
“The Converse ‘KKK lynching’ freakout is peak internet brain rot.”
“Karina did nothing wrong with this Converse ad. If you looked at this and saw a KKK ad, you’re psychotic and need to be checked into a mental asylum.”
“This Converse ad is the newest nothing-issue the internet has chosen to get upset about.”
Karina and her management agency, SM Entertainment Group, have not responded to requests for comment.
