Nike 'Betsy Ross Flag' Sneakers For Sale At $2,500 On StockX

Some people are making a killing selling the now withdrawn Nike “Betsy Ross” sneakers for up to $2,500 and higher on StockX and other online retail websites.

StockX is a stock market that connects buyers and sellers. It sells four categories of merchandise: sneakers, watches, handbags, and streetwear.

There’s a twisted logic for people wanting what’s forbidden. It’s like posting a sign “Don’t Touch! Wet Paint!” only to find the newly painted wall smeared with fingerprints and handprints later on.

It’s the same logic at work with Nike’s Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July kicks. Nike wanted to start selling these sneakers nationwide this Fourth of July week but on Tuesday recalled it from retail stores.

The reason: the shoes showing the original American Flag (also called the Betsy Ross flag) with 13 stars arranged in a circle smacks of slavery. Slavery was indeed legal in many of the 13 colonies at the time of the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783, which led to the declaration of American independence from Great Britain.

This fact was brought to Nike’s attention by one of its endorsers, football quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The Betsy Ross flag, according to Kaepernick, is offensive.

He told Nike officials the Betsy Ross flag painted on each of the sneaker’s backstays was linked to this period of slavery in American history. Nike agreed and quickly pulled the shoes from retail outlets nationwide. It also removed the shoes from its mobile app and website.

“Nike has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag,” said Nike in a statement.

Nike also pulled the shoes “based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation’s patriotic holiday.”

It told its retailers to return the shipped shoes. A number of these kicks found their way into the hands of enterprising capitalists, who decided to make money off this mess. The shoes are now being sold on online retail platforms at more than $2,500.

What’s being sold online appear to be shoes sold by some verified resellers who normally get new launches ahead of time from Nike. This means the Betsy Ross shoes were sold before they were yanked and now some of their new owners are making a fast buck off the shoe’s sudden notoriety.