Nike convinced by Colin Kaepernick to pull ‘Betsy Ross’ flag-themed sneaker

Nike squashed the release of the Air Max 1 USA after having already sent the sneakers to retailers because Kaepernick felt the use of the Betsy Ross flag was offensive and carried slavery connotations, per a Wall Street Journal report.

By USA TODAY

Barry Werner, Touchdown Wire

Colin Kaepernick convinced Nike to cancel the release of a sneaker — Colin Kaepernick reportedly convinced Nike to cancel the release of a “Betsy Ross” flag-themed sneaker.

Colin Kaepernick remains an activist with purpose. The former NFL quarterback’s latest cause led Nike to pull a sneaker it was marketing for the Fourth of July, the Wall Street Journal reported.

This is the shoe #Nike reportedly pulled over concerns from Colin #Kaepernick about the "Betsy Ross flag" on the back. What do you think? Offensive?
The story: https://t.co/caXvtr8KLE pic.twitter.com/ngwPTHxGRI
— Joe Chenelly 🇺🇸 (@jchenelly) July 2, 2019

The Journal reported: “After images of the shoe were posted online, Mr. Kaepernick, a Nike endorser, reached out to company officials saying that he and others felt the Betsy Ross flag is an offensive symbol because of its connection to an era of slavery.”

Nike is yanking a sneaker featuring the "Betsy Ross flag" after Colin Kaepernick said he and others consider the symbol to be offensive https://t.co/eKVtPM6oTA
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 1, 2019

Per Deadline: The sneaker originally was slated to be released on Monday, and it was going to cost $140. The 13 white starred flag that Ross is purported to have first made in 1776 at the request of George Washington has in recent years taken on a questionable quality due to the link to the era of slavery, as the WSJ said in Monday’s report online. In more the last decade or so, ultra-right and extremist groups like the Patriot movement have taken the old flag up as a symbol, which probably also isn’t an optic Nike thought through very much until the repeatedly forthright Kaepernick raised the subject in the past few days.e

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