CINCINNATI — Sun Day Red, the latest brand from golf superstar Tiger Woods, might have a bit of UC red in it thanks to one Bearcat alum.
Charley Hudak, a 2011 graduate of UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP), is the creative shoe designer for Woods' new line, a stand-alone brand under TaylorMade Golf.
"It's been an amazing experience," Hudak said. "I've been working in footwear for quite a long time ... working with Tiger Woods, it's like a dream come true. Every morning I wake up, I have to pinch myself. I never really expected this to be part of my journey, but it's been amazing."
Hudak worked for brands like AND 1, DC Shoes and Puma before joining TaylorMade in 2023. The Pennsylvania native said the golf great is involved in every facet of the brand, making sure it looks good and, most importantly, performs well.
"He's super hands-on — down to the shoelace," Hudak said. "Everything that we do gets his feedback, get his input. He's extremely, extremely intense about the performance ... everything has to pass his approval, and what he cares about most is the performance."
Sun Day Red was announced in February and officially launched in May.
"I couldn't be more proud of me, my team, everybody that's put the work toward it," Hudak said.
Hudak returned to UC's campus on Wednesday to teach footwear design at DAAP Camps, a series of camps for middle and high school students across the country to learn from DAAP.
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