"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 spokesperson for Nike stated.
Kaepernick allegedly told the athletic company the Betsy Ross flag was offensive.
The sneaker in question is red, white, and blue, and features the Revolutionary War era American flag with a circle of thirteen stars, known as the ‘Betsy Ross flag’, on the heel. The sneaker was specially made for Independence Day, and had already been shipped to retailers.
Nike ordered the shoe be sent back before it hit the shelves, and it is not available on their website.
Sources told the Wall Street Journal former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Colin Kaepernick contacted Nike after seeing photos of the shoe and requested they not sell it. Kaepernick allegedly told the athletic company the Betsy Ross flag offended him and others, as it represented a time of slavery in the United States.
Kaepernick has a history with both the American flag and Nike.
The quarterback began the protest of kneeling during the National Anthem at the beginning of NFL games starting in 2016.
It was not a surprise after his repeated stunts that Kaepernick was not picked up by any other team after opting out of his contract with the San Fransisco 49ers.
In the heat of the controversy that divided the nation, Nike released a 'Dream Crazy' ad with Kaepernick, making him the face of their 'Just Do It' campaign.
Kaepernick is now a full-time social justice warrior, fighting the nation that gave him his career and platform.
The ad featured a close up of Kaepernick and read: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."
Many asked what Kaepernick sacrificed. His career? The quarterback opted out of his contract before the 49ers let him go.
And what did he believe in? Kaepernick claims he was protesting police brutality and other misdeeds against minorities, particularly African-Americans. This provoked the question: was the beginning of a football game and during the anthem of the country that had given him so much the appropriate place and time for his actions?
Now that Kaepernick does not have to worry about a professional football career, he can focus on being a full-time social justice warrior, fighting the nation that gave him his career and platform.
Sofia Carbone is a junior editor at Human Events
