Vans sneakers pulled from sale in Hong Kong after protest-themed shoe contest designs removed by company, sparking backlash

Street wear sellers clear Vans from their shelves, and Vans owners dump sneakers in protest, after company bars two entries from its custom shoe competition

Rules didn’t prohibit political themes, one seller says; Vans says it reviews contest designs to ensure they honour its ‘values of respect and tolerance’

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Canada-based designer Naomiso's entry in a Vans sneaker design competition referencing the anti-government protests in Hong Kong, which the company disqualified despite it being voted the most popular entry. Vans also withdrew a second entry related to the Hong Kong protests.

Published: 10:29am, 8 Oct 2019Updated: 1:26pm, 8 Oct 2019

Sellers of street wear in Hong Kong have pulled Vans products from their shelves amid a backlash against the American manufacturer.

Anti-government protesters called for a boycott of the sneaker brand after it removed entries from its annual Custom Culture sneaker design contest that alluded to the unrest in the city sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition bill. . This drew the ire of many young protesters.

DaHood, a local chain store, suspended sales at all three of its Vans franchise stores in the city’s Mong Kok neighbourhood on Saturday, citing the controversy over the contest.

Dream Sneaker HK in Kwun Tong, a district in East Kowloon, removed its entire stock of Vans products, including clothes and socks, and a spokesman said the company was prepared to take a loss.

An entry in the Vans sneaker design contest featuring gas masks, goggles and helmets – symbols of the anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Vans removed it from the competition.

“We understand it’s a commercial decision for them and we will make one in response. What’s the point in life if we only calculate things by monetary value?” the spokesman said.