A Converse advertisement has sparked outrage online after a woman called out the sneaker brand for allegedly using imagery resembling a Ku Klux Klan (KKK) hood and a hanging figure.
The controversy gained further attention when she insisted that the image was not AI-generated or an internet edit but was featured on Converse’s actual website.
“Dear converse, what the f— is this?” the woman said in a TikTok video posted by @thecuntycovenbff.
A Woman Questions Converse Over Its Controversial Advertisement
The TikTok creator said she had visited the company’s website and found the image there.
“And before anybody comes to me and say, AI, blah, blah, blah. Not went to their website. Absolutely on the website,” she said.
The creator then questioned whether Converse understood the symbolism associated with the advertisement and why the image could be offensive to viewers.
“And if you can’t tell what the f— this is saying, what the f— this is representing, and you have not woken up enough, because converse, what the f— is this?” she added.
Converse Removes the Advertisement and Issues an Apology
The backlash followed a September 18 social media discussion about a campaign featuring K-pop star Karina of girl group Aespa. According to Reuters, the advertisement promoted Converse’s Chuck 70 X sneakers and showed a person wearing a white, calf-length skirt-like garment while holding black shoes.
Social media users pointed out that the shadows on the white garment created a triangular shape resembling a KKK hood. Meanwhile, the lighting and positioning of the sneakers made them appear similar to dangling legs.
Converse subsequently acknowledged the concerns and confirmed that it was removing the image from its platforms.
“We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong,” the company said in a statement to ABC News, as reported by Reuters on September 22.
“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 statement continued.
However, Women’s Wear Daily reported that the advertisement was still visible on the brand’s Threads account at the time of its coverage.
Another Converse Campaign Also Faces Backlash Over Similar Imagery
The controversy was not limited to the Karina campaign. According to Women’s Wear Daily, another image from Converse’s collaboration with Palmes for its Jack Purcell PDM sneaker collection also attracted criticism.
The photograph, shared on the Converse Malaysia Instagram account, showed a man climbing a ladder while holding shoes dangling from a tree. Another man could be seen looking toward him.
Social Media Users React
Social media users questioned the composition and its resemblance to imagery associated with racial violence.
“The Klan silhouette is one thing. But the tree, ladder, and person in the distance looking up while holding up Converse shoes,” Threads user akwasichr1s wrote. “Abhorrent. Unfathomable. Repugnant.”
The criticism comes against the backdrop of the Ku Klux Klan’s history of racial terror in the United States. Founded in 1865, the white supremacist organization used lynchings, violence and intimidation to target Black Americans and suppress their civil rights.
