Nike halted the sale of a range of sports shoes in China after its Japanese designer showed support for Hong Kong protests in an Instagram post, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
The line of limited-edition sports shoes are designed by Undercover, the brand of Japanese designer Jun Takahashi, according to the report. Several Chinese retailers withdrew those shoes from sale without explanation, the FT reported.
Earlier this month, Undercover posted on its Instagram account a photo of protesters with the slogan “no extradition to China,” according to the report. That post reportedly attracted backlash from Chinese social media users.
Undercover deleted the post, saying that it was an “individual opinion” that was put up by mistake, the newspaper said. The designer and Nike didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s request for comment.
A proposed law to allow extraditions to mainland China and other jurisdictions triggered large-scale protests in Hong Kong in the last few weeks. Protesters said they’re concerned that Hong Kong is losing its legal independence and inching uncomfortably close to Beijing.
The Hong Kong government has suspended the bill indefinitely but protests have persisted in the city.
For the full report on Nike pulling a line of sports shoes from China, read the Financial Times.
