Colour conundrum: Is this shoe pink or teal?

What colour is the shoe in this photo? A picture of this running shoe has taken over the internet in another viral debate over the colour.

Remember the great black-blue, white-gold dress debate that divided the internet in 2015? Well, there’s another colour conundrum circling around social media this week, and this time it’s about a sneaker.

According to multiple media reports, on Wednesday, Facebook user Nicole Coulthard posted a photo of one of the shoes with the caption: “[S]o my friend has just sent me this asking what color the shoe is, I would say pale pink and white, but she insists its pale blue and grey.”

And then the internet was taken by storm.

By Friday, thousands of social media users had posted photos of the sneaker along with their thoughts.

“We’re not doing this again,” Twitter user @chalhoubmark lamented on Wednesday. “The shoe is PINK AND WHITE.”

Others were incredulous.

“My friends who are dumb idiots see white and pink,” Doug Kyed wrote on Twitter. “I see grey and teal.”

Some were confused.

“[H]ave have to look at the shoe for ages to see the pink and white,” @holliejoness tweeted, “but as soon as i look away & look back it’s back to blue & grey.”

A very unscientific poll on CTV News’ Instagram Stories saw 21 per cent of respondents say that the shoe is “pink and white” while 79 per cent voted for “grey and teal" as of publication time.

“The shoe is pink and white,” Twitter user @PatClaeys wrote on Friday, finally shedding some much-needed light on the debate. “The picture is gray and teal.”

Just as was the case in the viral dress debate, it turns out that lighting is everything.

A quick search of U.S.-based shoe company Vans’ website shows that these “retro sport old skool shoes” are in fact pink and white -- or, in their parlance, “blossom” and “true white.” The only other colours they are available in are “glazed ginger” (i.e. orange) and “gunmetal” (i.e. grey).

So, netizens, pink prevails!