Why Nike had to withdraw the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July

On July 4, the United States of America celebrates Independence Day. In order to honour the nation's most important day, last week Nike released a special sneaker, the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July, featuring the Betsy Ross Flag on its heel. The flag is characterised by the presence of 13 stars that represent the colonies that formed the first nucleus of the US and that proclaimed their independence in 1776, arranged in a circle on a blue background. This flag was used between 1777 and 1795, during the period of slavery and was recently co-opted by groups of the extreme right, such as the Ku Klux Klan or Identity Evropa, who praise the supremacy of the whites. 

These racist connotations have caused Nike a major backlash. The hardest critics came from Colin Kaepernick, former quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers and face of the Just do it campaigns. The sportsman, famous for kneeling during the national anthem before the games as a protest against discrimination and police brutality, asked the company to not sell those shoes because of the problematic history of the flag, defined as "a symbol considered offensive to all African Americans and civilized people".

Nike immediately shared Kaepernick's concerns and decided to suspend the sales of the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July and asked retailers to send back their shoes in stock (some of the sneakers, however, managed to reach the secondary market and on Stockx some of these sneakers are now valued $2,500, nearly about 20 times the starting price). The damage was done though. Immediately after the announcement, the sports giant has lost more than a percentage point of its stock on Wall Street and the Governor of Arizona, Republican Doug Ducey, announced that he would withdraw the incentives granted to Nike for the construction of a new factory in Goodyear that would give work to about 500 people. 

Despite these negative effects, the brand has confirmed the decision to withdraw the sneakers, emphasizing that it was necessary to reaffirm the values in which it believes. According to many, aligning with Kaepernick will also bring benefits, being perfectly in line with what young American consumers are asking: for brands to take visible positions on social and political issues.