FILE – In this Oct. 11, 2018, file photo, former NFL football quarterback Colin Kaepernick attends the W.E.B. Du Bois Medal ceremonies at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Kaepernick was among eight recipients of Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medals in 2018. A person with knowledge of the conversation tells The Associated Press that the new Alliance of American Football spoke with Kaepernick during its development about joining the league. But Kaepernick wanted $20 million or more to consider playing with the league that had its debut last weekend. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because neither side has publicly acknowledged such talks. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File) Nike has walked back its decision to release a red, white and blue version of its Air Max 1 sneakers ahead of the July 4 holiday. According to The Wall Street Journal, that choice was made following concerns raised by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who is the face of Nike’s “Just Do It”. In a statement to CBS News, Nike said it “has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured the old version of the American flag.” The shoe’s design included a depiction of the “Betsy Ross flag,” which features 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 stars to represent the original U.S. colonies. Nike is yanking a sneaker featuring the “Betsy Ross flag” after Colin Kaepernick said he and others consider the symbol to be offensive https://t.co/eKVtPM6oTA — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 1, 2019 Sources told WSJ that Kaepernick reached out to Nike after photos emerged of the shoes, saying the design could be seen as offensive due to its association with an era of slavery. The flag first emerged in 1792 at a time when lawmakers advocated for the expansion of slavery and formally declared that those born into slavery were slaves for life. After shipping the shoes to retailers, Nike asked for them to be returned without providing a reason, sources told WSJ. The shoes are not available on Nike’s websites or mobile apps but Air Max 1 USA versions featuring the flag are still available on resale site StockX. CBS News reached out to Kaepernick for further comment and is awaiting a response. Kaepernick is a former quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers until the end of the 2016 season. During that season, he sat and then knelt during the playing of the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid settled a lawsuit alleging that the NFL had colluded to keep him off the field for their political activism in February for less than $10 million.