匡威公司的“重裝武器”

????2003年秋，匡威（Converse）推出了“武器”系列（Weapon）的升級版“重裝武器”（Loaded Weapon）籃球鞋。上世紀80年代，“魔術(shù)師”約翰遜和“大鳥”拉里?伯德讓“武器”系列名噪一時。然而，新產(chǎn)品的上市時機卻非常糟糕：這款球鞋上市后不久，貝勒爾大學（Baylor University）的籃球明星帕特里克?丹尼希便被自己的隊友槍殺。

????2002年和2003年期間，NBA球員杰森?威廉姆斯、吉爾伯特?阿里納斯和艾倫?艾弗森都曾經(jīng)面臨與武器相關(guān)的指控。“重裝武器”上市后不久，就有非洲裔美國歷史學家提出抗議。不過，匡威仍然堅持了自己的決定，并發(fā)表了一條聲明稱：“這只不過是一雙鞋的名字而已。”

Converse's "Loaded Weapon"

????In the fall of 2003, Converse launched its "Loaded Weapon" basketball sneaker, an updated version of the "Weapon," which Magic Johnson and Larry Bird made famous in the 1980s. The company had terrible timing: shortly before the shoe's launch, Baylor University basketball star Patrick Dennehy died after being shot by a teammate.

????During 2003 and 2002, NBA players Jayson Williams, Gilbert Arenas, and Allen Iverson all faced weapons-related charges. Soon after the "Loaded Weapon" hit stores, some African-American history scholars cried foul. Converse stuck by its decision, and released a statement claiming, "This is merely the name of a shoe."