A pair of shoes are set aflame with a cigarette lighter, captured on video and shared widely online to protest a political statement made by the manufacturer.
The New Balance shoes were burned by their owners two years ago after a spokeswoman indicated the companysa国际传媒檚 support for President Donald Trumpsa国际传媒檚 trade policies.
Nike now finds itself in a similar position on the other side of the political spectrum as some customers cut up its products or burn them because of the companysa国际传媒檚 decision to make Colin Kaepernick the face of its sa国际传媒淛ust Do Itsa国际传媒� 30th anniversary campaign.
With the Kaepernick campaign, Nike is embracing activism and racial justice at a time when shoe companies can no longer avoid the nationsa国际传媒檚 political division. After years of building billion-dollar brands around sports celebrities, shoe and apparel makers now find themselves flashpoints in the political, racial and cultural clashes surrounding the Trump administration.
Nike took this route as its biggest representatives sa国际传媒� most notably LeBron James and Serena Williams sa国际传媒� have spoken out about police shootings of African-American men and problems facing the black community.
Those same athletes are increasingly using their shoes as a form of expression. Jamessa国际传媒� sa国际传媒淓qualitysa国际传媒� Nike signature shoe was unveiled earlier this year , with the word emblazoned across the back of the shoes. Steph Curry has worn a Barack Obama-themed shoe.
Look!!! The new ad on top of 's store in San Francisco "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." Video via NBC Bay Area Feed. If yousa国际传媒檙e in Union Square SF take a selfie w Kap Show your support 鉂わ笍
sa国际传媒� NESSA (@nessnitty)
NBA players in recent years have worn shoes with messages of sa国际传媒淩.I.P. Trayvon Martinsa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淪ideline Racismsa国际传媒� and images of Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Such statements could become more common in the next season after the NBA relaxed the rules over the types of shoes players can wear.
sa国际传媒淚 stand with Nike, every day, all day,sa国际传媒� James said Tuesday at a Nike fashion show and awards ceremony in New York.
Trump has blasted the NFL for allowing players to follow Kaepernicksa国际传媒檚 decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest police shootings of African-Americans. Now the president has turned against Nike, which is making the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback one of its main spokesmen.
sa国际传媒淣ike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts,sa国际传媒� Trump tweeted Wednesday.
What was Nike thinking?
sa国际传媒� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Athletic apparel companies have straddled the entertainment and cultural worlds for years partly with their emulation of black culture sa国际传媒� think Run-DMCsa国际传媒檚 Adidas shoe deal in the wake of the groupsa国际传媒檚 rap hit sa国际传媒淢y Adidassa国际传媒� and Nikesa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淎ir Jordansa国际传媒� campaigns featuring Michael Jordan and Spike Lee. This has created a billion-dollar industry and the cultural challenge of how to appeal to minority and youth communities as well as to the countrysa国际传媒檚 white, sometimes conservative, majority.
But the companies and major sports leagues have been careful not to stray into real politics, famously symbolized by Jordan, who reportedly said Republicans buy shoes, too. While Jordan and others in his era were thrilled to have lucrative shoe deals, the current generation is going farther by using their sneaker deals as a platform to promote social justice.
And with that shift, Nike is taking the side of its superstar athletes sa国际传媒� even if it means alienating Trump supporters and intertwining shoes and politics.
Many companies sa国际传媒渇eel the need to align with players, because players help them move the product,sa国际传媒� said Michael Lewis, director of the Marketing Analytics Center at Emory University in Atlanta.
Clothing and shoe makers have always had a back-and-forth relationship with minority communities. Business boomed as black athletes became spokesmen and spokeswomen, but questions arose over how much the companies invested financially in black communities, compared with how much they made by exploiting African-American trends.
The relationship began in the 1980s, when Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Converse became staples of black fashion, and African-American youth sought to emulate the stars of the day, like Jordan, Run-DMC and other figures associated with the burgeoning hip-hop culture. Footwear came to symbolize status and street style. Sneakerheads lined up outside stores to get the newest shoes.
Companies sa国际传媒渉ave made millions off of following trends from the black community, and so they have to be cognizant of the feelings of that community,sa国际传媒� said Antonio S. Williams, who teaches sports marketing at Indiana University. sa国际传媒淚t only takes one or two incidents for shoes to be pushed aside and declared uncool and left behind, so they are very aware of the cultural exchanges and trends going on in their base communities.sa国际传媒�
New Balance tried to steer clear of politics in 2016 after coming out in support of Trumpsa国际传媒檚 desire to remove the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A company official said sa国际传媒渢hings are going to move in the right directionsa国际传媒� under a Trump presidency. Protesters took that as support for Trump and began burning New Balance shoes and posting videos. At least one white supremacist declared that New Balances were the shoes of sa国际传媒淭he Trump Revolution.sa国际传媒�
New Balance quickly released a statement saying the officialsa国际传媒檚 remark was taken out of context. The company insisted that it sa国际传媒渄oes not tolerate bigotry or hate in any formsa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒渂elieves in humanity, integrity, community and mutual respect for people around the world.sa国际传媒�
Unlike New Balance, Nike doesnsa国际传媒檛 seem to be backing down. Its two-minute commercial, highlighting Kaepernick, James, Serena Williams and others, aired Thursday during halftime of the NFLsa国际传媒檚 season opener.
Nike has likely figured out that its core consumers sa国际传媒� the people who regularly buy its sneakers and clothes sa国际传媒� are probably the millennials and minority youth who already support Kaepernick or at least donsa国际传媒檛 mind the stance he is taking, Antonio Williams said.
sa国际传媒淣ike wants to be on the right side of history and the right side of its core consumers,sa国际传媒� he said.
Jesse J. Holland, The Associated Press
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