// Nike pulls a line of sneakers from China after its designer supported mass anti-extradition protests in Hong Kong
// Nike had a collaboration with Jun Takahashi’s Japanese streetwear brand Undercover
Reports have emerged that Nike pulled a new line of shoes in China after its Japanese designer expressed support for the anti-extradition protests in Hong Kong.
According to the Financial Times, Chinese retailers cancelled sales of the shoes designed by Undercover – the studio of Japanese designer Jun Takahashi – after it posted an image of protesters with the slogan “no extradition to China” on Instagram earlier this month.
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Undercover has since deleted the post, which it said was an “individual opinion” posted by mistake.
Undercover’s line of limited edition shoes were reportedly slated to be released in China on June 14.
According to YYSports – a Chinese retailer owned by Nike’s strategic partner Pou Sheng International, which is Hong Kong-listed – said in a social media post that it had received an “urgent notice” from the US sportswear brand resulting in the cancellation of the shoe’s release.
Meanwhile, other Chinese retailers cancelled Nike’s Undercover line with little explanation.
Nike has not provided a comment on the matter.
It’s estimated that almost two million people took to the streets of Hong Kong on June 16 to protest a bill that, if passed, would see communist-run China given the power to extradite Hong Kong residents so they can be put on trial in China.
While the protests have stalled the bill, it has not been fully removed from Hong Kong’s legislative agenda.
China allowed Hong Kong to keep its own, non-communist legal system after the UK ended its colonial rule of the region in 1997.
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