Sneakers featuring an early American flag have been pulled by Nike after comments from former NFL football player Colin Kaepernick.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Kaepernick told the company it shouldn’t be selling a shoe that he and others consider offensive, also stating he and others felt the “Betsy Ross” flag featuring 13 stars in a circle on the shoes was linked to a period of slavery, the WSJ learned from sources.
The shoes were originally scheduled to be released in celebration of the Fourth of July, but Nike asked retailers to return shoes after they were shipped.
“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag,” Nike said in a statement to CNBC.
Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, but became a polarizing figure when he decided to start kneeling for the national anthem. He signed a deal with Nike last fall.
