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International sports goods manufacturer Nike has been forced to withdraw a range of women's sportswear that featured prints of Samoan tattoo patterns traditionally reserved for men.

Nike has apologised for any offence it may have caused after Samoans around the world took to Facebook to voice their outrage.

The pe'a is a high honour, reserved for male chiefs in Samoan society and Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin, a senior lecturer in Samoan studies at Victoria University in Wellington, says Nike is guilty of cultural exploitation.

"The tattoo is an icon which is very specifically integrated into Samoan culture. I think what Nike has done here is to, what we could call in modern terms, exploit the art of the Samoan people for commercial benefit. And I think that is a no no for companies, particularly when it involves ethnic or indigenous traditional knowledge."

"When I went through and looked at the comments made by people on social media, they were all very commonly based on the fact that here was a very powerful company taking hold of an indigenous art form, and a very special one at that, and using it for economic gain," Mr Hunkin has told Pacific Beat.

Now that Nike has bowed to public pressure by apologising and withdrawing the offending garments, he believes it would be useful if the company spoke to the community about how their traditional designs can be protected in future.

"There are other companies or countries which are using these tattoos on cloth and selling them worldwide," Mr Hunkin said.

"There is a body called the World Intellectual Property Organisation which my research tells me works with indigenous communities around the globe, and actually looks after, or tries to work with them, to protect their indigenous art forms. Somehow we have to work together to ensure there are no loopholes for companies like Nike to exploit."

As a senior lecturer in Samoan Studies, Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin says there is also a role for he and his fellow academics fitflop sale to play.

"Absolutely, it is important for people like ourselves to actually start to put these ideas and thoughts and these concerns on paper."

"I realise now after doing some quick research that the issue doesn't just refer to the Samoan community, but Maori New Zealand and many other indigenous communities around the globe."

Samoan born MP Su'a William Sio, who represents the South Auckland seat of Mangere, has told the New Zealand media that Nike should have investigated the origins of the tattoo before the company went into production.

"Before you launch Fitflop Flare into something like this, there's generally a consultation with those who own the pattern and it appears Nike didn't taken the time to do that."