Nike is facing heat for allegedly exploiting gang culture for profits through the sale of a "menacing" balaclava as outrage over the garment sweeps across social media this week, CNBC noted.
The Nike balaclava drew widespread criticism after a promotional image emerged showing a black model wearing the product, which covers his full face and extends down to his chest.
In the image, the model also wears a garment with straps over his chest which is similar to military forces webbing, The Guardian noted.
It is the marketing of the garment that has the public up in arms, with critics saying the campaign aims to cash in on gang violence among the youth by promoting a gang-inspired look.
Commentator Paul Mckenzie called Nike out in a video posted to Facebook.
"Young people on the street adore these manufacturers, they buy everything that they sell," he said, according to CNBC. "We look at images of young people on the street and they look menacing already, and so Nike decides to bring out a balaclava range which looks absolutely menacing. Maybe I'm getting old, maybe I'm a dinosaur, but this balaclava range looks like it's quite inciteful."
Comedian White Yardie shared these sentiments in a video posted to Twitter.
"Tell me this a joke, because right now it looks like you are targeting the young people who are involved in gang crime, and with all these recent stabbings that we have been seeing right now in London, this is definitely something we don’t want to see," he said, according to The Guardian.
Nike launched the Balaclava x MMW last month as part of a collaboration with designer Matthew Williams, whose label falls under Alyx Studio.
By late Tuesday morning, it appeared as if the garment had been removed from Nike.com however, it was selling for about $102 at AlyxStudio.com, USA Today noted.
In a statement, a Nike spokesperson explained that the garment was "part of a wider Nike Training collection, styled on different models and available in multiple markets around the world," The Guardian reported. "We are in no way condoning or encouraging the serious issue of criminal and gang culture."
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