Archive · 21 Sep 2026
Converse Pulls Karina Ad After Backlash Over Alleged Racist Imagery
Converse made an advertisement featuring K-pop star Karina.
Some people thought the picture looked like a Ku Klux Klan hood and the feet of someone being hanged.
Another Converse picture showed shoes hanging from a tree, which made the criticism stronger.
Many people said the images were offensive and asked Converse to take responsibility.
Other people said the resemblance was accidental and that the criticism went too far.
Converse removed the advertisement from its platforms.
The company also apologised and said it had made a mistake.
Representative Troy Carter’s office said an apology and removal were not enough.
It wants Converse and Nike to explain how the campaign was approved and improve their review process.
Converse removed a Karina campaign after critics said its imagery evoked the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.
The advertisement showed Karina holding black high-top sneakers beneath a star-shaped spotlight while wearing a long white skirt.
Critics connected the image with a separate campaign photo showing sneakers hanging from a tree branch.
Converse apologised, said the image was deeply upsetting, and promised to remove it from every platform where it appeared.
Representative Troy Carter’s office called for an explanation, an independent investigation, and stronger safeguards for future campaigns.
- Who
- Converse, K-pop star Karina, critics, and Representative Troy Carter’s office were involved; Karina’s agency, SM Entertainment, had not commented.
- What
- Converse pulled and apologised for a sneaker advertisement after backlash over alleged racist imagery.
- When
- The campaign controversy and removal were reported in September 2026.
- Where
- The campaign appeared on platforms promoting Converse products for Asian markets; the criticism largely circulated online.
- Why
- Critics said the advertisement’s lighting and composition resembled Ku Klux Klan imagery and the feet of a lynching victim.
Critics and Accountability Demands
Intentionality Disputed
Meaning of the imagery
Critics and Accountability Demands
Critics said the pointed white shape resembled a Ku Klux Klan hood and the sneakers looked like the dangling feet of a lynching victim.
Intentionality Disputed
Some social media users argued that the resemblance was not intentional and objected to interpreting the advertisement through a racial lens.
Appropriate company response
Critics and Accountability Demands
Carter’s office said removing the advertisement and apologising were insufficient, calling for an explanation, identification of those responsible, an independent investigation, and stronger safeguards.
Intentionality Disputed
Converse removed the campaign, acknowledged that it had made a mistake, apologised, and said it would do better.
Campaign approval
Critics and Accountability Demands
Critics questioned how the advertisement passed Converse’s internal review process and demanded disclosure of how it was conceived and approved.
Intentionality Disputed
Converse did not provide further details about its screening and approval process, so the company’s internal explanation was not reported.
- Brand
- Converse
- Featured celebrity
- Karina of aespa
- Products promoted
- Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers
- Contested imagery
- A white pointed shape and sneakers positioned beneath it, which critics associated with a KKK hood and lynching
- Company response
- Converse removed the campaign and issued an apology
- Political criticism
- Representative Troy Carter called for accountability and an independent investigation
- Agency response
- Karina and SM Entertainment had not publicly reacted in the latest reports