Nike Reportedly Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers Over Kaepernick's Concerns
Nike has decided not to release red, white and blue Air Max 1 sneakers with the original Betsy Ross flag design on the back ahead of the Fourth of July because Colin Kaepernick expressed concerns about it,The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.
The former NFL quarterback, who has been unsigned since the end of the 2016 season, during which he began kneeling during the National Anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality, became the face of Nike's "Just Do It" campaign last year, with the tag line, "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything." TheJournal cited sources as saying that after photos of the sneakers started appearing on social media, Kaepernick contacted Nike and said the design could be seen as offensive because it was created during an era of slavery in the U.S.
The Betsy Ross original flag design, with 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 stars in a circle, first emerged in 1792. Nike had already shipped out the sneakers to stores, but the Journal said they asked retailers to return them without giving a reason why.
(Pulse Networks)