--- title: Nike Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers, Colin Kaepernick Input description: Nike has pulled sneakers featuring an old version of the American flag as designed by Betsy Ross after reported input from Colin Kaepernick. canonical: https://time.com/5619013/nike-sneakers-betsy-ross-flag/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-07-02T15:40:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T22:44:34.000Z og:title: Nike Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers After Reported Kaepernick Input og:description: Here's what you need to know og:url: https://time.com/5619013/nike-sneakers-betsy-ross-flag/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc53f06c6ec013671/6989ff774ee2627998315e85/colin-kaepernick-nike-pulls-betsy-ross-flag-sneakers.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: VH1's 3rd Annual "Dear Mama: A Love Letter To Moms" - Inside og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Nike Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers After Reported Kaepernick Input twitter:description: Here's what you need to know twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc53f06c6ec013671/6989ff774ee2627998315e85/colin-kaepernick-nike-pulls-betsy-ross-flag-sneakers.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Nike Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers After Reported Input From Colin Kaepernick  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:44 PM UTCPublished: Jul 2, 2019 3:40 PM UTC  <> at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on May 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. <> at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on May 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.Leon Bennett—Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:44 PM UTCPublished: Jul 2, 2019 3:40 PM UTC [Nike](https://time.com/5385539/colin-kaepernick-nike/) has pulled a pair of sneakers intended to commemorate the Fourth of July after reported insight from [Colin Kaepernick](https://time.com/5386204/colin-kaepernick-nike-keeps-winning/) about the shoe’s design. According to a report from the [_Wall Street Journal_](https://www.wsj.com/articles/nike-nixes-betsy-ross-flag-sneaker-after-colin-kaepernick-intervenes-11562024126), the Air Max 1 sneakers featured the early American flag that many attribute to Betsy Ross. In fact, it’s commonly referred to as the “Betsy Ross flag.” This early version of the American flag featured 13 red and white alternating stripes and 13 stars in a circle design, symbolizing the 13 original U.S. colonies. The sneakers’ release this week was canceled after Kaepernick, a former NFL quarterback, activist and Nike ambassador, reportedly weighed in on the flag design as potentially offensive because of its connection to an era of slavery. The _WSJ_ also reported that the early flag has also been co-opted in recent years by some [white nationalist groups](https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2016/09/trump%5Fand%5Fbetsy%5Fross%5Fflags%5Fat.html?mod=article%5Finline). “Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured the old version of the American flag,” a Nike spokesperson said in a statement to _TIME_ _._ Nike’s decision to pull the shoe was not without controversy. Arizona governor Doug Ducey wrote a series of tweets criticizing the sportswear giant’s decision to not release the shoe, including withholding incentive dollars to open a manufacturing plant outside of Phoenix. > [](https://twitter.com/dougducey/status/1145981307895238656) > [](https://twitter.com/dougducey/status/1145981664956338176) Senator Ted Cruz also took to his Twitter to slam the brand for pulling the shoe. > [](https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1145852486210805760) Others however, supported Kaepernick’s reported insight and Nike’s decision not to release the design. > [](https://twitter.com/lsarsour/status/1146050189872029697) > [](https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/1146071436353822721) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5619013/nike-sneakers-betsy-ross-flag/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5619013/nike-sneakers-betsy-ross-flag/"},"headline":"Nike Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers After Reported Input From Colin Kaepernick","datePublished":"2019-07-02T15:40:10.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T22:44:34.000Z","description":"Here's what you need to know","url":"https://time.com/5619013/nike-sneakers-betsy-ross-flag/","keywords":["Newsfeed","fashion","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc53f06c6ec013671/6989ff774ee2627998315e85/colin-kaepernick-nike-pulls-betsy-ross-flag-sneakers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cady Lang","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/cady-lang/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc53f06c6ec013671/6989ff774ee2627998315e85/colin-kaepernick-nike-pulls-betsy-ross-flag-sneakers.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"VH1's 3rd Annual \"Dear Mama: A Love Letter To Moms\" - Inside","caption":"VH1's 3rd Annual \"Dear Mama: A Love Letter To Moms\" - Inside","creditText":"Leon Bennett—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5619013/nike-sneakers-betsy-ross-flag/","name":"Nike Pulls Betsy Ross Flag Sneakers After Reported Input From Colin Kaepernick"}}]}] ```