Everything you need to know about the controversial Converse ad that was pulled

Sneaker brand Converse has admitted that its latest ad campaign had landed badly - with the image recalling a traumatic time in the American psyche, a time of the Ku Klux Klan and public lynching.

The footwear giant has since pulled the advert from its Instagram account. The offensive image showed a pair of shoes dangling beneath a lighting arrangement that critics said resembled a pointed white hood. Some viewers also drew comparisons between the suspended trainers and photographs of lynching victims.

The American brand said it was working to take it down elsewhere.

“We're sorry. We understand why this image is deeply upsetting and recognise that we got this wrong,” the company said in an apology issued on Friday.

“This should not have happened and we will do better,” it added.

The photograph formed part of a campaign for the Chuck 70 X trainer, launched internationally on Aug 27. South Korean singer Karina, a member of K-pop group Aespa, appears in other images promoting the shoe.

Converse, founded in Massachusetts in the early 1900s, became a basketball-court staple in 1917. It is currently owned by Nike.