Converse has apologized and pulled a controversial ad after critics compared the imagery to the Ku Klux Klan and lynching.

The ad, part of Converse’s global Chuck 70 X campaign featuring K-pop star Karina, showed her holding a pair of black sneakers. The lighting and positioning made it look like the black shoes were dangling beneath a large, pointed piece of white fabric that some folks said looked like a Klan hood.

The image quickly sparked outrage online, with critics saying the hanging shoes evoke lynching imagery.

Converse removed the ad from its social media accounts and other platforms … and apologized for the campaign.

The company said in a statement toFootwear News it understands why the image was “deeply upsetting,” acknowledged it “got this wrong,” and vowed to do better.