Popular sports brand, Nike, has come under fire by Greek people after it recently released a new pair of footwear called ‘The Winged Goddess of Victory’ with the Air Force 1 Low.
Greeks have taken to social media to vent their anger and frustration at the apparent misspelling of the name of the Greek Goddess Nike on the heel of the left sneaker. The inscription in Greek, which is supposed to read ‘NIKH Air,’ actually says ‘ΠΙΚΣ Air.’
While many were left wondering whether ‘ΠΙΚΣ’ was a colossal mistake or some sort of marketing campaign, others took actions into their own hands and launched a petition to make the American multinational retract the sneakers.
“We are demanding Nike to retract and recall the Air Force 1 “Goddess of Victory” sneakers from the marketplace,” Angie Xidias, who started the petition, wrote.
“Currently the sneakers spell PIKS and not NIKE – this is cultural appropriation. We are asking Nike to preserve and respect the Greek culture and history by accurately using the Greek alphabet when writing and referring to the Goddess NIKE.”
This new controversial release comes just months after Nike announced that it will terminate all its existing contracts with Greek retailers by 2022.
A spokesperson at the Dutch European headquarters of the American multinational corporation confirmed on Wednesday that its strategy in Greece will involve a smaller number of partners.
The spokesperson added that the decision was taken in the context of its recently announced “Consumer Direct Acceleration” strategy, which involves prioritising investment through Nike’s digital channels.
The multinational has established 22 Nike stores in Greece, 15 of which were managed by Folli Follie, a Greek-based international company whose founder was jailed pending trial, accused of falsifying the company’s financial data.
