The company pulled the images from Instagram and other official channels, Footwear News first reported. Converse said the ads should not have appeared.
The controversy centered on a Chuck 70 X campaign image featuring Karina, a member of South Korean K-pop group aespa. Critics said the projected star-shaped lighting, shadows, and the performer’s white skirt created an image resembling a Ku Klux Klan hood.
Critics also pointed to black sneakers she held near her side, saying the arrangement evoked lynching imagery.
A separate image from Converse’s collaboration with fashion brand Palmes showed sneakers hanging from a tree branch near a ladder. That image also drew criticism online for its perceived connection to lynching symbolism.
Converse acknowledged the reaction in a statement distributed to media outlets, including Footwear News and People.
“We’re sorry,” Converse said in its statement. “We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong. 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.”
Converse, which became a Nike property in 2003, is headquartered in Boston. The company’s Chuck Taylor All Star line has been a cultural staple for generations, evolving from a basketball shoe into a widely worn casual sneaker. Converse introduced the updated Chuck Taylor II in 2015 while preserving the original shoe’s recognizable look.
More background on the brand and its history is available on its website here.
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