Controversy leads to withdrawal of special-edition Nike shoes
27/06/2019
The shoes in question, designed by Japanese studio Undercover, were due for release in China in early June. However, just before the launch a photo of a protest against a proposed change in the extradition arrangements between Hong Kong and China appeared on an Undercover Instagram account. With the image was a message saying: “No extradition to China.”
Instagram is blocked in China but has users there who access the platform using virtual private networks. People saw the Undercover post, reacted negatively and quickly spread the word.
Nike told the Financial Times it had decided to remove the shoes from sale “based on feedback from Chinese consumers”. The newspaper also quoted Yue Yuen, an outsource footwear manufacturing partner of Nike’s and of many other major sports brands, as saying it had received an “urgent notice” from Nike cancelling the release of the Undercover shoes.
Undercover deleted its Instagram post, saying it had been an individual person’s opinion and had been posted by mistake.
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