Converse will pause its social media and marketing campaigns following a major uproar over imagery in a recent advertisement that drew comparisons to lynching and the Ku Klux Klan, according to published reports.
The footwear and apparel company told employees this week that it would put its future campaigns on hold while it continues to review its own process for creating and approving ads following controversy over part of its Chuck 70 X sneaker rollout based on a report from Bloomberg on Friday.
In the ad, the bottom half of a person wearing a white garment and holding a black pair of the brand’s shoes was shown while a bright star was illuminated below. A single peak of the star beamed at the garment, which appeared to resemble a Klan hood. The black shoes were also called out on social media for appearing as if a person were being hanged.
Converse apologized for the ad, which was released in early September in its “Stars Align With KARINA” campaign for K-pop singer Karina, who is a brand ambassador.
The ad gained widespread attention weeks after its release, which the brand would later remove from its channels and social media accounts with a statement apologizing for the imagery.
“We’re sorry,” the company said in a statement after pulling the ad. “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.”
But last Sunday, Converse CEO Aaron Cain told the company’s staff that “needed changes” were in order regarding how the ad was approved and also how the brand would review future campaigns.
“The images should not have been used, and we began removing them from all channels as soon as the concern was raised,” Cain said. “The leadership team and I are taking a hard look at our internal review process and the critical lens we apply to our work.”
The Chuck 70 X shoe was released globally in late August as a premium update to the iconic Chuck Taylor shoe which got its own major overhaul in the 1970s.
Converse continues to work through one of the toughest fiscal points in its 118-year history, with 13 straight quarterly declines with a 31 percent drop in revenue in its most recent fiscal calendar.
For the fiscal year 2026, the Boston-based company posted $1.174 billion in revenue, a slide of just over 50 percent from the same period in 2023 when the brand reported $2.43 billion. In 2024, revenue slipped to $2.2 billion and $1.7 billion in 2025.
The brand is owned by Nike, which has indicated that it will stand behind Converse even as it navigates its own struggles and in April, after releasing its third quarter earnings report, CEO Elliot Hill dismissed speculation that Converse was up for sale.
“Converse is a beloved brand that serves a distinct consumer through their connection to creative culture, music and youth,” Hill said at the time. “Converse will remain an important part of the Nike, Inc. family, and we are excited about its long-term prospects.”
