Converse posted its latest sneaker ad, which has since been taken down, to its social media channels in mid-September.

The ad, which was originally part of an international campaign, was removed following severe public backlash over claims of alleged racist imagery.

The campaign showcased the new Chuck 70 X and Run Star Crush sneakers, with the ad intentionally manipulating light and shadows to create shapes

Yu Ji-min, also known as Karina in the South Korean girl group aespa, was featured in the ad wearing a long, white dress and holding a pair of Chuck 70 X’s while she stood in a star shape created by casted light on the floor.

The shadows in the image produced a contrasting triangle-shape against the dress, leading to outrage online from critics who remarked that the shape closely resembled the hood of a Ku Klux Klan robe.

“This is one of the scariest ads I’ve seen in recent times,” an X user replied to a post regarding the ad.

Other critics expressed confusion concerning the insensitivity of the ad and how it was able to bypass an entire design team without being flagged as potentially controversial.

Online discourse also mentioned that the lighting and the way Karina held the sneakers in the ad made the shoes resemble the dangling feet of a lynching victim.

“Nike and Converse, what the hell were you thinking?” Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana’s second congressional district said in a statement. “Black pain is not a marketing prop. Lynching is not a creative concept. The Ku Klux Klan is not an aesthetic. This campaign should never have been created, approved or released. Nike and Converse must answer for it.”

Converse, owned by Nike, quickly pulled the controversial imagery from all its social media platforms and issued a formal apology.

The company also told its employees it was pausing all marketing for a week on Sept. 25, according to Bloomberg News.

“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,” Converse told Footwear News in a statement on Sept. 18.

Despite the formal statement, some people felt that Converse used the layout of the ad and lighting to send a deliberate, hidden message.

“This is the most blatant dog whistle I’ve seen in DECADES,” one user wrote on X in response to the situation.

“Converse took the photos off the internet, apologized, but the message was already sent, and whoever the company wanted to understand it, already has.”

The comment, made on Sept. 20, has garnered over 15 million views and around 70,000 likes. It has also sparked further discourse on the subject, with some saying that they saw nothing wrong with the image and that the people upset by it were looking at things too deeply.

Despite news outlets initially reaching out for additional information, Converse has declined to comment regarding the process of screening and approving ads.

Karina and her management team have also not responded to messages received through their Instagram accounts regarding the situation.

As of October 2026, it is still unclear who greenlighted the ad for posting.