Kaepernick Pressured Nike to Recall American Flag Sneaker
Nike has decided to recall an American flag themed sneaker after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick said the design offends him and others, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The Air Max 1 USA sneakers, which featured an image of an early American flag designed by Betsy Ross, were scheduled to go on sale this week to celebrate the Fourth of July, but were abruptly recalled after Kaepernick voiced his concerns.
“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured the old version of the American flag,” a Nike spokeswoman told the Journal.
Kaepernick, who is sponsored by Nike, saw images of the sneaker online and reached out to the company to inform them that the image of the Revolutionary-era flag is reminiscent of slavery and therefore should not appear on their sneakers.
The San Francisco 49ers were ordered to pay Kaepernick a $10 million settlement in February in response to a complaint alleging that NFL owners colluded to ensure that he remained an unsigned free agent after he stirred controversy by kneeling during the pre-game National Anthem.
Nike then made Kaepernick the face of a 2018 advertising campaign, alienating some NFL fans who began posting videos of themselves online burning Nike gear.
