NEW YORK (KMOX/AP) - Nike is pulling a flag-themed tennis shoe after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick complained to the shoemaker, according to the Wall Street Journal.The shoe's heel has a U.S. flag with 13 white stars in a circle on it, known as the Betsy Ross flag. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the Journal said that Kaepernick, a Nike endorser, told the company he and others found the flag symbol offensive because of its connection to slavery.
Watch how many shoes @Nike sells pulling the Betsy Ross model . - Brilliant marketing move! so now lets talk about why they would even adopt Betsy Ross Model in the first place. pic.twitter.com/G187py4Svv
— Leonard (@LeonardEsere)
July 2, 2019 Sen. Josh Hawley from Missouri shared his opinion of the move by Nike with a series of tweets, calling them "anti-American."
Nike is a symbol of everything wrong with the corporate economy. They take advantage of our laws but send jobs overseas for sweatshop wages, partner w repressive regimes, aggressively avoid paying any US taxes, and then tell Americans to shut up and buy their stuff
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO)
July 2, 2019 Hawley also suggests Nike should put the shoes back into production and use the facility in St. Charles to make them.
Nike should apologize to Americans for denigrating the flag. They should apologize to Missourians who lost loved ones defending the flag. And they should restart production of the Betsy Ross shoe at their facility in St Charles, MO
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO)
July 2, 2019 Despite Nike’s issued recall, the shoe has appeared on resale websites. Sneaker marketplace StockX is carrying the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July and some bidders have paid as much as $2,500 for a pair. Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July originally appeared on StockX last week.
.@nike betsy ross air max was selling for $1,000 pair/yesterday - up to $2,495 right now #sneakers pic.twitter.com/EA6sXJXQJw
— Rob Godfrey (@RobGodfrey)
July 2, 2019 Arizona Governor Doug Ducey lashed out at Nike over Twitter, saying that he is asking the state's Commerce Authority to withdraw all financial incentives for the company to locate there.
Today was supposed to be a good day in Arizona, with the announcement of a major @Nike investment in Goodyear, AZ. THREAD—>1/
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey)
July 2, 2019
