Nike has pulled its “Air Stab” shoe line from stores in the United Kingdom following a recent spate of fatal knife attacks across the country. A total of 53 people have been stabbed to death this year in London, and more than 5,000 people suffering stab wounds were admitted to emergency wards last year.
Nike pledged to discontinue the shoe range 11 days after two security guards at the Niketown store in London were stabbed while trying to apprehend a gang of teenaged shoplifters.
The retro shoe line, which features the logo “Runnin n Gunnin” on one particular style, was originally released in 1988 and derives its name from the word “stability,” according to a Nike spokesman via FOXNews.com.
“While it may be an unfortunate coincidence timing-wise given current problems regarding knives, we completely reject the idea that we are in any way condoning or encouraging the issue of knife usage,” a Nike spokesman told FOXNews.
Likewise, a Nike spokesman told the London Times that the name was “obviously unfortunate, given the current issues that we face in the U.K .” The spokesman, however, denied that Nikes withdrawal of the shoe line was related to speculation that the name could encourage the use of knives.
