The international sports brand made a cultural faux pas with the women's leggings, which created the appearance that the wearer has a traditional Samoan tattoo, the pe'a, which is reserved for men.
Pasifika blog sites have attracted hundreds of comments since Nike released the Pro Tattoo Tech gear - leggings, sports bras, jump suits and singlets - last week.
Some are unhappy about the use of the designs, which are viewed as sacred.
Others have mocked the women's leggings, calling them manly and inappropriate for women.
A blogger on the One Samoana Facebook page called Nike's use of the tatau an "ugly exploitation of culture".
On Change.org, which is organising a petition to stop the sale of the gear, one person wrote: "This reduces [tatau] to patterned tights rather than assigning it the mana it warrants."
Freddie Ika said: "To the outside world it's just a design. But to my Polynesian people, it's sacred."
The Samoan pe'a is a tattoo reserved for men. The intricate lines and colour-blocking are tattooed on to the body using tools made of carved bone or animal tusks. It is a painful process that sometimes takes months to complete.
The malu is the tattoo for women and is a simpler pattern, but just as painful to apply.
Both forms of the tatau are a rite of passage for men and women.
Victoria University Pacific Studies lecturer Galumalemana Alfred Hunkin said he did not support such use of the tatau and would support a campaign to stop the sale of the gear.
Mangere MP Su'a William Sio was tattooed in 1988. He said seeing the pe'a designs on a woman was upsetting.
"It's disturbing. This is a treasure that is held dear to the Samoan community. The patterns have a spiritual meaning that come from one's family and ancestors.
"This just cheapens and belittles all of that. It's a total disregard of cultural protocol."
Manu Samoa rugby legend Brian Lima and former Hurricanes winger Lome Fa'atau are proud wearers of the pe'a.
The tatau has also appeared in more contemporary forms among several sports stars including All Blacks Ma'a Nonu, Ne'emia Tialata, Sonny Bill Williams and wrestler-turned-Hollywood actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Nike said today the range, which was not available in New Zealand, was being removed from nike.com and should be gone by tomorrow.
"The Nike tattoo tech collection was inspired by tattoo graphics. We apologise to anyone who views this design as insenstive to any specific culture," the company said. "No offense was intended."
The collection was of a limited run and no additional items would be sold.
Tatau - Pacific tattoos
Pe'a: Traditional Samoan tattoo reserved only for men. Made up mostly of lines and triangular patterns, the tattoo covers the abdomen, buttocks, thighs and ends at the knee.
Malu: Traditional Samoan women's tattoo. Simpler patterns start from the upper thigh to just below the knee.
