Converse is facing significant backlash this week after two separate ad campaigns sparked outrage on social media for imagery that users say resembles Ku Klux Klan hoods and lynchings.
The company, which is owned by Nike, issued an apology in response to the controversy.
“We’re sorry. 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,” the statement read. Despite the apology, at least one of the images remained on the brand’s Threads account at the time of writing.
The first controversy involves a campaign featuring K-pop star Karina of the group Aespa. In the photo, the singer stands inside a Converse star wearing a white skirt while holding two shoes. Social media users pointed out that the lighting on her skirt creates a white triangle shape reminiscent of a KKK hood, while the shoes she holds appear to look like dangling legs.
A second controversy emerged from a Converse Malaysia Instagram post for the Converse x Palmes campaign. That image depicts a man climbing a ladder toward a pair of shoes hanging from a tree, while another man stands below looking up. Critics were quick to draw parallels to the history of lynchings in the United States. One user on Threads wrote, “The Klan silhouette is one thing. But the tree, ladder, and person in the distance looking up while holding up Converse shoes… Abhorrent. Unfathomable. Repugnant.”
The Ku Klux Klan has a long, violent history of using lynchings and white hoods as tools of racial terror and intimidation. While these images are tied to U.S. history, the issue remains a contemporary concern; in 2026 alone, there have been 10 reported hangings of Black people across the country, leading lawmakers to call for federal investigations.
The backlash is particularly notable given Converse’s long-standing history of partnering with prominent Black athletes and entertainers, including Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Dwyane Wade, and Tyler, The Creator.