Walmart removes 'KKK' boots from online inventory after complaint
Walmart apologizes for 'KKK' boots and says they had been listed by outside third-party seller
Walmart pulled a pair of hiking boots from its online inventory after a Muslim civil rights group pointed out a baffling design oversight.
The "Harsuny Men’s Tactical Military Hiking Ankle Boot Outdoor Trekking Shoes" is a pair of outdoor boots previously for sale on Walmart's website.
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Photo courtesy of Walmart
The boots were pulled after a complaint was filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The group pointed out the $50 boots are emblazoned with the three-letter logo "KKK."
"KKK" is a well-established shorthand for the Ku Klux Klan, one of the oldest and most prominent hate groups in the U.S.
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"This item was listed by an outside third-party seller and removed because the item is inconsistent with our values and violates Walmart’s prohibited product policy. Like other major retailers, we operate an online marketplace that allows third-party sellers to offer merchandise to customers through our eCommerce platform," a Walmart spokesperson told FOX Business.
The statement continued, "We have a process in place designed to prevent third party sellers from offering inappropriate items on our platform. Still, at times, inappropriate items make their way onto our platform. We are reviewing how this happened and will apply what we learn to further improve our rules and processes to prevent the sale of inappropriate merchandise."
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The superstore received a thank-you from CAIR, who commended the swift decision to pull the bizarre boots from their online store.
"We thank Walmart for dropping an online listing for oddly/poorly named ‘KKK’ boots after we brought this to their attention earlier today," CAIR wrote in an official statement.
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CAIR said that the organization had "respectfully" contacted Walmart about the issue after being alerted to the boots' existence in an email from a member of the public.