Nike pulls shoe in China over designer’s support of protests: report

Nike has pulled the sale of a new shoe line in China after its Japanese designer supported protests against a proposal to allow extraditions from Hong Kong to mainland China, Financial Times reported.  

The limited-edition line was crafted by the brand Undercover, which is headed by Japanese designer Jun Takahashi. The brand posted a now-deleted photo of protesters with a slogan “no extradition to China” on Instagram.

Undercover deleted the post after Chinese Instagram users lashed out against the photo. The brand said it mistakenly posted an “individual opinion,” Financial Times reported.

{mosads}YYSports, Nike’s partner in China, according to the Financial Times, said it received an “urgent notice” from the U.S. sportswear giant, causing the cancellation of the shoe’s release earlier this month.

Other Chinese sellers also started pulling Undercover merchandise in reaction to the post, according to the report. Online vender Douniu removed all products from its site from the Undercover brand.

The Hong Kong government suspended the bill allowing extraditions to China on June 15, following protests and public pressure against the legislation. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said there is “no timeline” for reviving the proposal, CNBC reported.

“After repeated internal deliberations over the last two days, I now announce that the government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise, restart our communication with all sectors of society, do more explanation work and listen to different views of society,” Lam told reporters.

The Hill has reached out to Nike for comment.