Converse has withdrawn an advert after social media users said its imagery evoked Ku Klux Klan symbolism and a lynching. The company apologised, saying it understood why the image was “deeply upsetting” and acknowledged that it had made a mistake.

The photograph, posted on Instagram, used lighting that critics compared to a white pointed hood, while dangling shoes were likened to a lynching victim. It promoted the Chuck 70 X trainer campaign, launched internationally on 27 August and featuring South Korean singer Karina; Converse said it had removed the image from its social media accounts and was working to remove it elsewhere.