Man ridiculed for cutting Nike logo off socks in protest at Colin Kaepernick, as conservatives rage

Peter Stubley
Updated

A former marine has been mocked for cutting the Nike symbol off his socks in protest after Colin Kaepernick was revealed as one of the faces of the "Just Do It" advertising campaign.

The results were posted on Twitter by country singer John Rich with the message "Our Soundman just cut the Nike swoosh off his socks. Get ready @Nike multiply that by the millions."

Mr Rich, who was chosen as the winner of The Celebrity Apprentice in 2011 by Donald Trump, was quickly bombarded with thousands of replies, many of them ridiculing the decision to cut off the tick symbol but still wear the socks.

The singer responded by declaring that the socks would be burned "as soon as we get to Nashville".

Others pointed out that the socks had already been paid for and described the stunt as "childish".

The sock vandalism was also described as "the greatest, stupidest thing".

It comes two years after Kaepernick began his protest against police brutality and racial injustice by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem before NFL American football games.

Mr Trump criticised the move as "disrespecting the flag" and said he would like to see players fired for "taking a knee".

Nike's decision to use the 30 year-old quarterback in its ads - which feature the message "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything" - has now sparked a boycott of the company by the president's supporters.

Several people posted pictures and videos on Twitter of their Nike shoes being set on fire. One claimed to have burned five pairs. Another wrote: "Nike forces me to choose between my favourite shoes and my country."

The shoe burnings were parodied by one tweeter with a series of photographs showing a man setting his trainers on fire while still wearing them and ending up in hospital with severe burns.

Another mock-up showed a pair of Nikes being blown up with a missile, though several users appeared to take it seriously.

Kaepernick is not currently playing for any NFL team after opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.

Nike has endorsed Kaepernick since 2011 but has not featured him in campaigns since he became a free agent. The new campaign marks the 30th anniversary of the "Just Do It" slogan.

"We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward," said Gino Fisanotti, a Nike vice president of brand for North America, according to ESPN.