shoe

Converse has pulled a controversial ad after it was slammed online by social media users who said it evoked Ku Klux Klan imagery.

Two ads promoting Converse’s global Chuck 70 X campaign came under fire. One featured K-pop star Karina clutching a pair of the brand’s classic high-top black sneakers by her side and wearing a white skirt, with a star spotlight in center frame.

The problem, according to social media users, was that the lighting and cropping created an outline that evoked a white pointed hood, with the shoes dangling against it. The other image showed models climbing a ladder to reach shoes that hung from a tree branch.

“We’re sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognize that we got this wrong,” Converse said in a statement to Footwear News on Friday. “We removed it from our channels and are working to remove it everywhere it appeared. This should not have happened, and we will do better.”

Photographer Stephanie Schwartz posted on Threads that she thought the imagery was no accident.

“Shadow, light, and composition. Every photographer can tell you, whoever did this ad knew EXACTLY what they were doing,” she wrote.

Educator Kendall C. Peacock posted a video on Instagram asking followers whether a boycott of the brand was warranted.

“Converse, converse, converse! You’ve been called to the carpet. Who approved this? … As a Black man and someone who loves Converse shoes, I find this very insensitive and distasteful.”

“How and why did nobody question these visuals?” he continued. “Deliberate racist intent hasn’t been established yet, but that doesn’t erase the impact.”

Peacock acknowledged the sneaker brand’s apology, but added that “must come with accountability.” He asked who approved the ad and what will change after its removal, and further suggested that “withholding our dollars is a reasonable demand for answers … How dare you try to make a dollar off of Black pain, Converse?”

DJ SoulChild AC said on TikTok that even if it wasn’t Converse’s intention, “We can see the symbolism from a mile away.”

“That is a depiction of the triple K right there,” he continued. “Pointed hood, dangling converses, as if someone’s being strung up … Black people ain’t stupid, bro.”

This spot, just a short stroll from the Long Beach Museum of Art Downtown, doesn’t bother trying to graft cafe culture onto the cat-visiting experience, choosing instead to double-down on a whimsical cat motif that includes kitty murals and paw prints splashed across interior and exterior walls. (If you need a caffeine fix, there is a Starbucks a few blocks away.) The central element inside the space is a wooden tree-like structure where you’ll find many of the 50-plus cats provided by rescue partner Long Beach Felines lounging or climbing, while others roam about, pouncing on toys, wiggling through fabric tunnels or prancing on a cat exercise wheel the size of a truck tire.

Up to 25 people can kick it with the kitties at any one time, and the 50-minute sessions can be booked online. Other offerings include: Cats & Mats yoga (offered one Friday evening a month), Crochet With Cats (one Sunday afternoon a month) and cat-accompanied sound baths. (An employee I chatted with said the crochet class, with its preponderance of dangling yarn, is particularly popular with the cats.)

Price: $19.99 for 50-minute sessions, which start at the top of the hour

Hours: Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (reservations end 1 hour before closing)

Pro tip: A shorter and less expensive option — $10 for 20 minutes — is available on a walk-in basis only at the top of the hour, depending on capacity.

Cheer captain. Student body president. Leader for Shoes for Souls, a nonprofit that gives out shoes to people in need.

Sarah Sobel is one busy teenager at Sierra Canyon High. She knows how to be organized, which her father, David, an assistant athletic director, probably offered some tips to follow.

Sarah took over running Shoes for Souls from her sister, Lindsay, who created the organization in 2016. More than 70,000 shoes have been donated.

High school is a balancing act between academics, school activities and other responsibilities. So far, Sarah is finding time to do all of it.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.