Why was nike singled out

In September , on Flores Island, in the remote Atlantic archipelago of the Azores, Gui Ribeiro began noticing strange items washing ashore. At first they appeared in small numbers and could be dismissed as ordinary artefacts lost by individuals - mere flotsam among the churn of man-made waste that inhabits the world's oceans.

Soon, though, it became clear these Azorean arrivals were part of a greater group. Trainers, flip-flops and a selection of other footwear were appearing with a regularity that singled them out from the other tidal deposits. They were the same brands, in the same styles, and, for some of the trainers at least, the same production dates were printed on a label sewn into the tongue of each shoe. Moreover, every item of footwear appeared to have been unworn.

In the months that followed, Mr Ribeiro retrieved about 60 Nike trainers, along with a host of other brands. Seven months later, and 1, miles 2,km away in Cornwall, UK, Tracey Williams started noticing a similar trend. As well as the Azores and south-west England, specimens of this scattered footwear flotilla have so far been found on beaches in Bermuda, the Bahamas, France, Ireland, Orkney and the Channel Islands.

The source of all these shoes is believed to be a single ship. In early spring last year, the Maersk Shanghai - a m 1,ft vessel capable of carrying more than 10, shipping containers - was travelling from Norfolk, Virginia, down the east coast of the US to Charleston, South Carolina.

On the evening of 3 March - 17 miles from the Oregon Inlet, off the coast of North Carolina - it was caught in a storm. While battling high winds and rough seas, a stack of its cargo-laden containers toppled overboard.

At the time, the maritime trade press reported that aircraft crews sent to locate the missing containers had found nine of them floating, but that seven had later sunk. It is not possible to say with certainty all the recovered footwear originated from the Maersk Shanghai - the vessel's operator Zodiac Maritime did not respond to BBC questions on the matter.

Nike also chose not to comment when contacted. However, two footwear brands, Triangle and Great Wolf Lodge, confirmed the examples of their products that had been retrieved did originate from the ship.

And Mr Ribeiro is not the only beach cleaner to be convinced they came from the Maersk Shanghai. Liam McNamara, from County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland, has found "well over " shoes - mostly Nike trainers - that in his opinion "most definitely" came from that vessel.

Estimates vary, but it is thought about 10 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans each year. It's a huge own goal for Nike. Nike is not the only Western brand to come under fire for not understanding Asian cultures and consumer behaviour. Last year, luxury French brand Dior was criticised for using a map of China that excluded Taiwan.

Taiwan has been self-ruled since the s, but Beijing's official policy is that the island is a Chinese province. However, Mr Morley says Nike did understand the sensitivity of the issue. Most advertising in Japan skirts around delicate issues like discrimination because someone might feel bad.

But controversy doesn't always lead to a fall in sales, and can actually have the opposite effect. Nike's campaigns in the US featuring Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who knelt during the national anthem to protest against racial injustice, saw sales increase.

Haters will buy their merchandise any way," added Mr Robertson. Pay based on use. Does my organisation subscribe? Group Subscription.

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