Nike in the middle of controversy yet again…

Nike recently released the sneakers above to coincide with the July 4th holiday. However, this shoe with the Betsy Ross Flag did not go over well with everyone. There was much backlash, reportedly from one of the biggest faces of Nike, Colin Kaepernick. He is no stranger to controversy.

These shoes have now been sent back to Nike from many retailers and can now be found online for as much as $4,000 or more at an original selling price of $120.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1312.R1.TR10.TRC2.A0.H0.Xbetsy+ross.TRS2&_nkw=betsy+ross+nike+flag+shoes&_sacat=0

See this link to see what I mean about pricing

Colin Kaepernick is most famous for kneeling at NFL games during the National Anthem, when he was a quarterback. This was in response to being an activist regarding racism and police brutality.

In 2016, he remained unsigned, and filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017. However, in February of 2019, he dropped the grievance and came to an agreement with the NFL. This however has not stopped his activism. There are many people who stand with him and many who do not. He also became a face for Nike by signing an endorsement deal with them last year.

This activism lead him to be the one who spoke up on behalf of his feeling that the Betsy Ross flag was a symbol of when there was slavery in America.

Here’s just a little history on the “Betsy Ross” Flag….

This is the “Betsy Ross” flag flying outside San Francisco City Hall in California.

The Betsy Ross flag is an early design for the flag of the United States, used as early as 1777. This is called the “Betsy Ross” flag because she was depicted to be the flag maker, although that may not be true. There are thirteen 5-point stars to represent the thirteen original colonies. It was created to be a symbol of patriotism.

However, now it has been associated with white nationalism and was used during an anti-immigration rally in South Carolina in 2007.

So this depiction of what the flag used to represent as now lost its original meaning. I can understand how one could look at the Nike shoes and see it as a representation of something negative, with the oppression of black people at a time when slavery was prevalent and black people did not have rights.

I have a daughter who is mixed and I want her to grow up in a world where people love each other for who they are. I also want her to know the history of things like the “Betsy Ross” flag. We all want to know where we come from and how we started. I know this flag as been taken from the ideas of patriotism to be used as a symbol of hatred or purity, but it wasn’t originally meant to be that.

The shoes with this flag on them were sent to retailers, but after concerns were expressed, the brand asked for the shoes to be returned due to the controversy.

“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag.”
Nike said in a statement to TODAY

There were folks on both sides of this controversy. There were many who took to social media to voice their opinion.

It is always hard to be sensitive to everyone’s needs. We live in a society where things are sometimes taken out of context, over dramatized, or only looked at from one point of view. We need to think of everyone with the mentality that even if it may not affect us directly, what if it were something that would. We get so consumed in our own lives that we forget to look around us. We do have to mold and adjust with the times. Many things have changed over the years and we need to take that into consideration as well.

We all want growth in order to get to the happy, healthy place in life and we should not step on others to get there. Try and save yourself the trouble and think of others before you make decisions. It could save you a lot of time in the long run.

Nike has decided not to put this shoe on the market in retail stores just being that it is controversial. However, I believe that the controversy will continue. If not about this, about another issue that comes about.

Why Are Plus Size Mannequins Such a Big Buzz?

Nike and their choice to use plus size mannequins

“To celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of sport, the space will not just celebrate local elite and grassroot athletes through visual content, but also show Nike plus size and para-sport mannequins for the first time on a retail space.”
CNN Style

nike plus size mannequins

Recently Nike has unveiled a woman’s plus size mannequin located in a new space in London. Nike had launched their plus size ranges above sixe 16 in February 2017. When visiting the Nike website, there is an easy to click link to take you directly to all the plus size clothing and active wear offered. Many folks are used to going into any store, especially ones with active wear, and seeing mannequins that are small, or skinny or considered to have perfect figures. Once you get home and try on your clothing, you wonder why it never looks as good as it does on the mannequin? Because a lot of women are not a size 8. According to a Today’s Show article in 2016, the average size of a woman had gone up from a size 14 to size 16. These mannequins need to revamped to show the average woman and give women the ability to be able to feel like they can compare.

There have been both positive and negative comments on this unveiling. I tend to lean toward the positive size because I am plus size and also work out.

Pros:

Keeping up with the times: This new plus size mannequin is now showing the average woman. Not just a model with a perfect body. Women don’t want to feel bad when they go in an active wear store to buy clothing and feel they don’t fit.
Positive Body Image: Nowadays women already feel like their bodies are not good enough. This launch shows women that you can be plus size and still not have to feel like you should be embarrassed to buy active wear clothes along with having the courage to go and work out.
Inclusivity: We all want to fit in. We don’t want to walk into a store, especially Nike, to look for a size you cannot find. They want to make sure that everyone is included in the journey of becoming active and healthy. Also, Nike is stylish. We all want to be able to purchase and wear stylish clothing. Not offering plus size would keep plus size customers from purchasing items.

Cons:

Support of Unhealthily Lifestyle: Some articles and journalist have slammed Nike for using plus size mannequins because they believe that it supports an unhealthy lifestyle. One article by Tanya Gold writes “[T]he new Nike mannequin is not size 12, which is healthy, or even 16 – a hefty weight, yes, but not one to kill a woman. She is immense, gargantuan, vast. She heaves with fat.”
Idea of being unhealthy is ok: Offering clothing of all sizes may support women’s idea that it is ok to be plus size and not feel like that need to loose weight, even though it may be affecting their health.

In the end, I feel like there is way more positive buzz around this. Also being plus size and wanting to wear Nike, I feel like I can see myself in this story. I work out and want to be stylish while I work out as well. Nike wants women (and people) of all sizes to feel comfortable enough to enter their stores, purchase active wear/clothing, and be confident enough to wear it out. They gym is already nerve wracking enough for many people, so feeling comfortable in your own skin and clothing will make a world of difference. With the support of Nike, anything is possible. One Cosmopolitan artcle writes “Because reputation matters” and I truly believe that.

Female athletes come in all sizes. Skinny does not equal healthy, just as plus size does not equal unhealthy. We all want to feel comfortable in our own skin and want to be able to go into a store at any size with confidence and positivity. This is what I believe Nike is doing and we should all jump on this idea of inclusivity. We all matter, regardless of size.

Many people have taken to social media to share their thoughts.

CNN ✔ @CNN · 6 Jun 2019 Nike has introduced plus-size mannequins in its London flagship store https://cnn.it/2IsZdnH View image on Twitter Ian Lee Rockwell @IanLeeRockwell It’s more important to be healthy than it is to be skinny. Anything that promotes a healthy lifestyle is a plus in my book. Positive body image is important to mental health. Big is beautiful too. 20 02:03 – 7 Jun 2019

Femestella @femestella Really digging this plus size mannequin at @Nike reenforcing that big girls can be badass athletes too 🙌 #effyourbeautystandards

Ashley Stokes @_AStokes_ Idk why but this @Nike mannequin makes me feel so empowered. 58 9:53 PM – Jun 5, 2019

MADELEINE @Frenchd0gblues Telling overweight people exercise bc ‘there’s no excuse’ then also telling overweight people that they look horrendous in gym clothes

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