Nike is revamping another silhouette in time for Independence Day. Serving as the followup to the 2003 Air Max 1 “USA,” the Air Max 1 “Fourth of July” retains the OG colorway with a refreshing take. The model’s white mesh base is heavily contrasted with a red mudguard and trim with a blue panel swoosh, softened by tame grey overlays to remain easy on the eyes. A patriotic homage to Betsy Ross’ original American flag design can be found embroidered on the heel along with a Nike Air woven tongue patch surrounded by 13 stars to represent the original states. This edition rests on a white midsole and gold Air Max unit, finished off with a navy blue outsole.
The Nike Air Max 1 “Fourth of July” drops July 1 on Nike SNKRS for $140 USD.
Nike has decided to axe its upcoming Independence Day-themed Air Max 1 sneakers after Colin Kaepernick told the sportswear giant that it donned offensive symbolism. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, who cited various people familiar with the ordeal, Kaepernick directly reached out to Nike officials to share that he and others believed the “Betsy Ross” flag — which is embroidered on the shoes’ heel — was linked to a period of slavery and injustice.
The shoes were originally slated for a release to celebrate the upcoming July Fourth holiday, with Nike recently telling CNBC that it had “chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag.” The company went on to ask retailers to return the shoes after they had been shipped.
Mere hours after news broke of Nike’s plans to build a major manufacturing facility in Goodyear, Arizona — a move that is expected to bring 505 full-time jobs to the region — State Governor Doug Ducey has ordered to withdraw the company’s tax incentives around the proposal, stemming from the recent Independence Day-themed sneaker controversy. After Nike axed its plans to release a pair of Air Max 1 shoes featuring an embroidered “Betsy Ross” flag, Ducey shared a series of Tweets this morning to express his “disappointment” at what he considers a “terrible decision.”
“I am embarrassed for Nike…Instead of celebrating American history the week of our nation’s independence, Nike has apparently decided that Betsy Ross is unworthy, and has bowed to the current onslaught of political correctness and historical revisionism,” said Ducey.
“It is a shameful retreat for the company. American businesses should be proud of our country’s history, not abandoning it,” he added.
The Republican representative goes on to state that he has ordered the Arizona Commerce Authority to “withdraw all financial incentive dollars” that the state had planned in support of the new factory. This is despite the fact that an agreement between the City Council and Nike’s Air Manufacturing Innovation facility — which creates its Nike Air units — had just been approved yesterday. Nike was slated to invest at least $184.5 million USD into the project, with the city of Goodyear agreeing to reimburse nearly $1 million USD across various fees and up to $1.02 million USD based on meeting the qualifying job employment terms.
According to The Business Journals, a spokeswoman for the ACA has confirmed that based on Ducey’s request, the organization will rescind a $1 million USD discretionary grant that was set to be doled out to Nike. However, this does not impact the region-specific deal between Nike and the city of Goodyear.
Nike’s Goodyear plant, if constructed, will be the company’s third Air Sole manufacturing location in the country. There has been no official comment released from Nike at this time.
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