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Matching Your Socks to the Subway Floor Makes for a Good Optical Illusion

The best optical illusions are the dumb ones. The ones where you stare and stare and when you finally see it, you feel, well, dumb. The cigar shoved into a brick wall. The legs covered in paint. The blurry ham. All dumb, good illusions. Today’s newest addition to the dumb-good category is this dude riding the subway wearing a pair of socks that match the subway floor. It only works for the briefest of seconds, but for that fleeting moment before your brain remembers that patterned socks and ankles exist, it looks like this guy’s pants are floating above his shoes.

Perhaps disappearing-ankle guy and missing-leg girl — another good illusion — could be friends.

Today in Illusions: Matching Your Socks to the Subway Floor