Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has urged Nike to scrap their plans to sell a flag-themes sneaker that Kaepernick pointed out may be offensive.
The shoe, which featured a new colorway of it’s popular Air Max 1, featured an old United States flag from the American Revolution, which showed 13 stars, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Kaepernick, who is endorsed by Nike, reportedly reached out to Nike regarding the shoe, sharing his concerns with the image of the Betsy Ross flag, saying that he imagery is offensive due to it’s connection with slavery.
Kaepernick pointed out that two prominent white nationalist groups, one of which is the Patriot movement, use the symbol for their group.
The Ross flag was originally created back in 1792, with the 13 white stars representing the 13 original colonies.
Although the shoe was pulled, it hasn’t stopped it from hitting the auction market, with one pair of the kicks selling for $2,501 on the auction website StockX, according to TMZ Sports.
For comparison, prior to being pulled the show was selling for around $250.