07/08/2008 ~
KNIVES ARE COOL: TORY...more

MARCH AGAINST KNIFE CRIME AND OTHER MARCHES...more

17/07/08 ~ Anti-Knife Protestors Condemn Nike 'Air Stab' Shoes...more

14/07/08 ~ NOT ANOTHER DROP ANNUAL PEACE MARCH 2008...more

09/07/08 ~ TAKE KNIVES NOT LIIVES...more

28/04/08 ~ Bite the Bulltet Conference...more

10/04/08 ~ MAMAA not opposed to army cadets training in schools...more

09/04/08 ~ Tribute to victims' parents...more

13/02/08 ~ remembering James Bulger...more

06/02/08 ~ take knives off our streets...more

29/01/08 ~ new video release...more

Anti-Knife Protestors Condemn Nike 'Air
Stab' Shoes


Anti knife campaigners today accused Nike of "making money on the back of victims" by selling a range of shoes called 'Air Stab'.

The American firm was attacked for "glamorising" the carrying of knives because of their huge attraction amongst young people.

One version of the shoe includes the slogan "Running'n'Gunnin' Quickstrike".

But the company claimed critics were "cheapening" the knife crime debate. A spokesman said the £90 shoes would not influence youngsters at all.

Dee Edwards, a co-founder of Mothers Against Murder and Aggression, said: "They would say that. They are cheapening the lives of people who are dying by calling their stupid shoes Stab.

"They probably cost two pounds to make and they are charging a huge amount of money for them.

Ms Edwards said: "The fact is people are being stabbed and they are bringing out trainers with this name. All this glamorisation of knife crime makes our job so much harder. I think they are disgusting.

"What kind of message are we sending out to our young people? .

"I really want to say 'Please put some thought into what you are doing and do something positive for our young people'.

"They have huge advertising budgets and the company is popular with young people but we are living in ever more violent times. We have seen Dolce and Gabbana run an advertising campaign with knives and bullets. Puma brought out trainers with pictures of AK47s on them and now Nike. I just don't know what it does to young people."

Nike say they have discontinued the shoes at their Regent Street shop, Niketown, in London.

The company said this was there only shop in the country that stocked the range but the trainers could be on sale in other independent shops.

A spokesman for the firm said the name was a shortened version of 'Air Stability'.

He went on: "They were first launched in 1988 as running stability shoes. We entirely reject any insinuation that we are capitalising or playing on knife issues or knife crime.

"It is an unfortunate coincidence given the current situation but we can't base shoe names on what may or may not be news in two years time."

Asked whether it was ever appropriate to call a shoe Stab, the spokesman replied: "I don't think anyone would be influenced by the name of a shoe. The suggestion they would cheapens the debate. I don't think there is any glamorisation issue."