{"id":8032,"date":"2026-10-02T19:16:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=8032"},"modified":"2026-10-02T19:16:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T19:16:45","slug":"this-shoe-companys-instagram-ad-with-a-frat-is-pissing-people-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=8032","title":{"rendered":"This Shoe Company\u2019s Instagram Ad With a Frat Is Pissing People Off"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A popular national<\/span> footwear brand recently published a collaborative Instagram post with a fraternity, despite two former members being recently accused of disseminating nonconsensual intimate images of a fellow college student.<\/p>\n

On September 25, HEYDUDE, a viral shoe brand<\/a> that was acquired<\/a> by Crocs in 2022, posted a photo<\/a> on its Instagram account promoting shoes that appeared to be UF versions of the brand\u2019s popular \u201cWally\u201d loafer, a lightweight slip-on sneaker with a foam insert.<\/p>\n

\u201c@heydude<\/a> called, @thetachiflorida<\/a> answered,\u201d the caption read, alongside photos of Theta Chi members clowning around and wearing orange-and-blue sneakers. The brand also posted a video<\/a> on its TikTok account outside of the Florida fraternity house with the caption \u201cwtf is any shoe besides a HEYDUDE?\u201d<\/p>\n

The post led to backlash in the comments section, with many questioning why the brand would choose to work with the fraternity. \u201c#CancelHeyDude,\u201d one person wrote. Another chimed in: \u201cI would boycott if I wore fucking ugly shoes but I don\u2019t so I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

As WIRED previously reported<\/a>, two former members of the UF chapter of Theta Chi, Kamran Ahmed and Brendan Pitfield, allegedly used anonymous burner accounts with the handles “Steve ‘SC\u2019 Cumfull” and “Arnie_Grape16” to disseminate a nonconsensual intimate video of Maddie Kowalski, then a 19-year-old UF student. One of the “Steve ‘SC’ Cumfull” posts on X identified Kowalski by her full name and sorority affiliation.<\/p>\n

According to affidavits from the Gainesville Police Department, the posts accumulated thousands of views. Kowalski\u2019s name went viral on X, causing her \u201cwidespread public humiliation and significant emotional distress,\u201d according to the affidavit. Ahmed and Pitfield are currently being charged with sexual cyberharassment, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Kowalski is also suing both men for financial damages in Florida Northern District Court. Through their attorneys, Pitfield (who has entered a plea of not guilty) and Ahmed did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n

Though no other Theta Chi members have been charged, a screengrab of Instagram comments from an account linked to Ahmed appears to show fellow members referencing his alleged burner name. Some comments also appear to reference a cryptocurrency in Kowalski\u2019s name, that the police affidavit alleges Ahmed promoted on X. When reached for comment, Theta Chi CEO Michael Mayer previously told WIRED that the alleged behavior described in the affidavit is \u201creprehensible\u201d and \u201ccompletely contrary to Theta Chi\u2019s ideals.\u201d<\/p>\n

The charges against Pitfield and Ahmed, as well as WIRED\u2019s reporting on the case, sparked an outcry on the UF campus. On September 15, a group of students advertised a protest outside the Theta Chi fraternity house, circulating a flier demanding that the chapter be removed from the UF campus. \u201cThey need to be held accountable,\u201d the flier reads.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n