The Great Sneaker Color Test Debate Is Back to Splinter the Internet
Leave it to a good old optical illusion debate to cause maximum internet breakage.
The latest mind-boggling optical illusion is actually a snapshot of a sneaker that stirred debate back in 2017, now returned to stir controversy once again thanks to verified celebrities like Lizzo and Will Smith weighing in. The shoe is clearly gray and teal— or definitely, most definitely pink and white — depending on your view of things.
“I SEE GREY & TEAL BUT MY WHOLE TEAM SEES PINK & WHITE HELP,” Lizzo captioned her Instagram post. Cue the standoff.
Thousands have joined in on the vision quest to remind us of the power of perception.
Smith had a thing or two to say on the matter.
The original tweet from two years ago appears to be gone. But this time, the lace-up sneaker that appears to be of the Vans variety is popping eyes and sparking a debate.
It’s safe to reject the debunked left brain vs. right brain myth, included in the text that has been circulating with the image. That theory claims that so-called “left-brained people” (or more logical, analytical thinkers) see gray and teal, and “right-brained people” (creative, emotionally in tune and imaginative folks) view the sneaker as pink and white.
What colors you see likely all boils down to a couple of factors. As neurobiologist Bevil Conway recently told TIME, the most decisive factor is how an individual perceives light, but what’s top of mind for the viewer also plays a considerable role.