Fail Nike · 2019
The Fourth of July shoe that never shipped
What happened
Nike produced an Air Max 1 with the 13-star 'Betsy Ross' flag for Independence Day, then recalled it from retailers before launch after Colin Kaepernick raised the flag's association with the era of slavery and its adoption by some extremist groups.
What went wrong
A historical flag is not a neutral decoration. Symbols acquire new owners over time, and a national holiday is exactly when that gets litigated in public.
The rule
Check who is currently flying the flag you are printing. Provenance in 1777 does not settle what it signals today.
Takeaway
Patriotic merchandise needs a symbol review, not just a legal one.