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On September 18, 2026, Converse pulled a photo from Instagram less than a day after posting it. The image, meant to promote the brand’s new Chuck 70 X sneaker, showed a figure in a stark white outfit, lit by a glowing star. Within hours, commenters said the picture called to mind something far darker than a shoe launch, something the company would soon have to answer for publicly.
Critics Say the Ad’s Lighting Formed a Klansman’s Hood
The campaign starred K-pop singer Karina of the group Aespa, wearing a calf-length white skirt while holding a pair of black Converse high-tops beneath a star-shaped spotlight, the brand’s own logo. Viewers online said the lighting on her skirt formed a white triangular shape resembling a Ku Klux Klan hood, and that the angle of the sneakers in her hand echoed the dangling feet of a lynching victim.
A Chicago Photographer Says the Composition Wasn’t Accidental
Photographer Stephanie Schwartz posted on Threads that the shadow, light, and framing choices were deliberate, arguing any working photographer would recognize the intent behind them. Other commenters went further, pointing to a tree, a ladder, and a distant figure in the frame’s background, calling the combined imagery unmistakable rather than coincidental.
Converse Apologizes in a Four-Sentence Statement
Converse, based in Boston and owned by Nike, released a statement Friday confirming the photo’s removal. The company said it understood why the image was deeply upsetting and admitted it had gotten the campaign wrong, adding it was working to strip the photo from every platform where it had appeared and promising changes going forward.
Converse Won’t Explain How the Ad Was Approved
On Sunday, the company declined to answer questions about its internal ad-vetting process or how the image cleared review before publishing. Karina and her management company, SM Entertainment, did not respond to requests for comment either, leaving the central question of how the campaign made it to Instagram unanswered.
A Louisiana Congressman Calls the Apology Not Enough
Rep. Troy Carter, a Louisiana Democrat, demanded Converse and Nike explain exactly how the campaign was conceived and approved, name those responsible, and commission an outside investigation. In his statement, Carter asked bluntly what the companies were thinking, arguing the imagery was reckless rather than creative and calling for safeguards to prevent a repeat.
The Backlash Hits as Nike Nears an 18-Year Exit
The controversy lands as Nike, Converse’s parent, prepares to leave the S&P 100 after nearly 18 years, its market value down more than $200 billion since 2021. Nike has drawn criticism from both directions in recent years, from conservatives over past partnerships with figures like Colin Kaepernick and from progressives over an April marathon ad some called insulting to slower runners.
Lawmakers Had Already Flagged Rising Lynching-Style Incidents
The Ku Klux Klan, formed in 1865, used white hoods and lynching as tools of racial terror for generations, and reports of similar hanging incidents involving Black victims have continued to surface in recent years. Earlier this month, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and 59 colleagues asked the DOJ and FBI to investigate a string of such cases nationwide.
Converse Joins a Growing List of Brand Apologies This Year
The backlash follows a similar pattern seen last month, when Target pulled a children’s Halloween costume after critics said it evoked racist minstrel caricatures. Converse’s post drew its own wave of consequences, including online calls for a boycott and demands that staff involved in approving the campaign be fired.
The Photo Is Gone, But the Answers Aren’t
Converse’s apology closed the incident publicly, but the image reportedly remained visible on the brand’s Threads account even after the company said it was working to remove it everywhere. No agency, photographer, or executive has been named in connection with the shoot, and the review process Carter demanded has not been confirmed as underway.