Shoppers spot 'photoshop fail' in ad, but can you see what's really going on?

The optical illusion is mistaken for photoshop fail by shoppers at Mansur Gavriel
The photo is making shoppers do a serious double take. Photo: Instagram/mansurgavriel

Online shoppers were left baffled this week after a very odd image was selected to showcase a dainty pair of ballerina slippers.

New York fashion house Mansur Gavriel took to Instagram to share an artistic snap of their Lamb Ballerina slippers, but it wasn’t the shoes that had people talking.

As one woman aptly put it, “What the hell is going on with this foot and leg?”

A quick glance at the picture confirms there is something missing from the photo – that something being over half the model’s leg, or so it appears.

At first glance the shoe appears to be worn by a shadow of a human leg, barely big enough to form the ankle that peeks out from the sleek footwear.

Online commentators were at best baffled, at worst disgusted, with what appeared to be a clownish attempt at photoshop.

“This is a really unhealthy body image,” wrote one user, while another said, “Photoshop gone wrong lol.”

Others eventually figured out what was happening, but not before they had some visceral reactions.

“I thought her leg was warped at first,” confessed one woman.

“This photo creeped me out for a second,” admitted another.

Shoppers are baffled by the strange photo. Photo: Getty Images
Shoppers are baffled by the strange photo. Photo: Getty Images

On closer inspection, it turns out this isn’t a terrible attempt at photoshop but a strange optical illusion.

The model in the photo is kneeling in a cream dress which covers all of one leg, and half the other, making it appear she has two feet and a sliver of a leg.

The placement of the cream dress on a background in the exact same shade of cream is behind the odd effect, and once spotted it makes for a hilarious composition.

“This is a very unfortunate shoot,” one person pointed out.

“The dress should have been a different color (sic) than the background so it didn’t look like a weird leg,” was one shopper’s observation.

The enduring impression of the dress is best summed up by one user, who admitted that though she cottoned on to what was happening she was still understandably freaked.

“Can't unsee my first impression of this image, even though I finally figured it out...”

Same, girl.

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