Artist Justin Starling was scrolling through his direct messages when he received an unexpected note: someone had spotted him in a Skechers advertisement. The only problem? He’d never worked with the footwear brand.
Curious and confused, Starling decided to investigate. When he arrived at a Skechers store in New York, he discovered a large poster displayed in the window featuring his own face staring back at him. But the surprises didn’t end there.
“Bro, wait until I show you the original picture. I didn’t authorize this,” Starling explained in a TikTok video that quickly went viral. “This original photo is from 2021 and they photoshopped the (Nike Air) Forces out and put some Sketchers on.”
Can Skechers do this legally pic.twitter.com/UsedZIePCi
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) November 25, 2025
The artist was understandably bewildered by the situation. “Like, how am I gonna walk past this? They didn’t cut the cheque, they didn’t even hit me up for the official ad,” he said.
After his initial video gained traction, many viewers urged Starling to pursue legal action or compensation. However, further investigation revealed a more complicated truth. According to Starling’s follow-up video, Skechers informed him that the image had been sourced from a royalty-free stock photo website.
Update on the Skechers story pic.twitter.com/nHgF9Sa26Y
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) November 25, 2025
“They told me the image that was used in the advertisement came from a royalty-free website, and that surprised me because at the time, when I saw the poster, I had no idea that that photo was even on a website like that,” Starling explained.
The digital alteration proved particularly striking. In the original 2021 photograph, Starling was wearing Nike shoes. The Skechers advertisement used the exact same image, but the footwear had been digitally replaced with Skechers products.
Rather than expressing outrage, Starling took a measured approach to the situation. “I’m not here to drag Sketchers or anyone involved; it seems like it may have just been a misunderstanding,” he said. “I just think it’s wild how easily somebody’s photo can end up online and altered in a major brand’s campaign without that person ever knowing.”
The TikToker also noted the missed opportunity for genuine collaboration. “There’s so many talented and dope creators and models out there who would have loved to be a part of a real photo shoot like this and wear their brand proudly,” he said. “And honestly, if Skechers or their team would have reached out, I would have been completely open to talking about potentially working together.”
Despite Starling’s diplomatic response, many commenters felt the situation warranted more action. “Naw bro, get your money. They have to pay to use your image,” one viewer wrote. Another added, “Nah they altered that on purpose that’s crazy.”
Some observers found it shocking that a major corporation would rely on royalty-free stock photography for an advertising campaign, especially given the potential complications that could arise from digitally altering the images.