First there was “The Dress,” now there are “The Flip-Flops.” The internet may have settled the great debate over the photo of a blue and black dress that went viral last year, but now it’s on another case — this time debating the color of a pair of flip-flops.
Twitter user @PositiveDemi posted a photo of some Havaianas sandals on Thursday, November 17, asking in Spanish “What color do you see?”
Just like the infamous dress, the photo and question sparked a passionate Twitter debate, with some users seeing the flip-flops as blue and gold, while others saw the sandals as black and white or even blue and gray.
Twitter users joked they had ended friendships and didn't know what to believe anymore as the latest optical illusion went viral.
Just ended a friendship over the black and blue/white and gold flip flops
— Lindsay (@_LindsJustine) November 21, 2016
us: the black & blue/gold & white dress debate tore us apart and we learned our lesson 🙂
internet: …but what about these flip flops… pic.twitter.com/L4HonKJ61e
— BENNY ? (@BenJPierce) November 21, 2016
I see white and gold flip flops… what do you see? pic.twitter.com/I35iYnlNLp
— Sam (@SamGolbach) November 20, 2016
THE FLIP FLOPS ARE BLUE AND GREY
— bre (@breannaisner) November 21, 2016
Right I thought the dress was blue and black but I think the flip flops are gold and white and now I'm questioning everything about life ?
— Kevin (@thatspeckyguy) November 21, 2016
Havaianas also shared a photo on its Facebook page Monday of the flip-flops that sparked the colorful discussion, after the company confirmed to BuzzFeed the shoes are actually blue and dark blue.
The internet first freaked out in a similar fashion after Scottish musician Caitlin McNeill posted a photo of a stripped dress on Tumblr, writing “guys please help me – is this dress white and gold, or blue and black. Me and my friends can’t agree and we are freaking the f–k out,” she asked. The photo went viral, sparking passionate debate between family, friends and coworkers. (The dress was actually black and blue).
Scientists told Wired at the time that people saw the dress as completely different colors is because of the way different people’s brain interprets hues, depending on the lighting and context.
