Should Nike be forced to withdraw its Pocketknife range?

Nike has taken a range of running shoes called Air Stab off the shelves, following a spate of knife attacks across the UK.

However, the sportswear giant continues to sell a range called Pocketknife online.

Should be the company be forced to withdraw the Pocketknife range? Is Nike's marketing irresponsible? Will you boycott the brand?

Pocketknife? What absolute moron thought that would be a suitable name?

Idiots.

 wtf? What the hell was going through Nikes collective marketing team / designers with that name? How about Nike Cocaine or Nike Paedo ..... Idiots

If you think that's bad, how about the trainer that was named ( by a sports behemoth ) Zyclon B. This kind of nonsense happens because clients tend to think that naming is easy. Anyone could do it. So they do it themselves and this is the result. Either that or some fu*kwit 12-year-old designer who, in the case of the Zyclon thing, 'liked the sound of it'. And before I'm accused of being ageist, this particular fu*kwit had to be either very young or terminally stupid and ill-educated otherwise they would have known that Zyclon B was a gassed used in the Nazi death-chambers. I ask you!

I think nike have done the right thing and i think it's ludicrous hysteria to  have the pocketknife taken off the shelves as well.

I can understand the decision to stop selling Nike Air Stab - it's a bit of a silly name particularly given the youth market that it is aimed at and the recent incident of knife attacks on niketown's security staff.

But is pocketknife really that bad, it's a tool associated with outdoor activities (i believe the shoe is aimed at that market).  Do people really think a nike trainer called pockeknife is really promoting or causing knife crime... I mean how far do you want to push blame culture.

Perhaps we should ban all football boots with 'blades' and only allow old style studs.  Nike Air 'smash' and nike air 'Torch' are also on thin ice, i can already see the burnt out cars inspired by these names.

And the worst of all Nike Heist - these guys are positively asking for kids to go out and hold up banks.

Nike at the heart of crime in the UK.

 

 I have read a little further into this story and kinda understand where the "Pocketknife" name is aimed at and why, but i'm still dissallusioned to the whole concept of naming anything Gun , Knife, Stab etc etc - It is in my mind a direct marketing ploy to those who are in that culture and Nike know it.

 

Besides who on earth would buy this shoe? 

 

I wholeheartedly agree that the names are stupid and badly thought out, but they are still just the names of trainers.

If I was a 15 year old today I could sit and play violent computer games all day - watch my screen idols play violent heroes and villains armed to the teeth all evening, then upload some photos of myself with my mum's carving knife to facebook before bed.

But I can't go into foot locker and buy some (very ugly) Nike Pocketknife

really...

Thank god you agree they are hideous

 

erm just found Nike Vandal High Supreme !

 

It was an error of judgment on Nike's behalf. The product should still be sold, but should be renamed and branded.

Yeah bad name but seriously, AS IF the sneakers are condoning knife crime.

Get a grip.

Michael Laws - spot on.

Ugly shoes (mind you, that can be said for 99.6% of all Nike shoes) and totally irresponsible marketing.

LOL @ the Vandal High Supreme - such a cool name - NOT! Who dreams these names up?. Can't they just call them what they are - 'high top basket ball shoes' or something like that. Oh, and niiiiice colouring too, another of Nike's less desirable traits - they seem to have about 2 pairs of nice coloured shoes a year which sell out in about 10 minutes and you're left with a choice of the most vile shoes ever.

Alright stupid names granted however the Air Stab shoes, which by the way are shortened from Stability to Stab, were launched in late 80's/early 90's i believe - i think it is hysteria to ban or retract everything related to knifes or blades.  The pocketknife trainers shouldn't be on sale just because they are plain ugly.

A degree of hysteria granted Terry, but it is a monumentally stupid name. Any strategist / naming consultant worth his or her salt should think in the round and put forward naming solutions winnowing out the unfortunate and - given the target audience, 20 years ago or not - the bleeding obvious.

well...the forensics team found 2 Nike footprints at my door after a break in...probably those ugly Pocketknife or Stab one's...

 so, yes, potentially: Nike at the heart of crime in the UK ...