Leader in Nike row

JAKARTA: A debate has erupted online after Indonesian President Joko Widodo was seen wearing an expensive pair of Nike sneakers during a working visit to West Java last week.

Critics pointed out that the president was wearing the Nike LunarEpic Flyknit running shoes during one of his frequent field visits, at a time when many Indonesians were complaining about rising prices.

Joko said he chose to wear the sneakers because they were light and that he wanted to look different. “It’s so that people don’t see me as boring,” he said.

Kaesang Pangarep, one of Joko’s sons who often pokes fun at his father’s critics in his blog, said he chose the Nike sneakers for his father because they were comfortable. – ANA-dpa