A former Yeezy designer is calling out Justin Bieber‘s new SKYLRK sneaker. Steven Smith says the Sensory Runner closely mirrors a shoe he built for Ye back in 2019 that never made it to release.

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The similarities are honestly pretty hard to miss. Both pairs share a chunky, textured build with rounded panels across the upper. The layered, sculpted look on the sole also lines up closely between the two designs.

Smith’s comments came through a short post posted to his page, where he confirmed the comparison directly. He didn’t go into detail about how the resemblance came about, only confirming that the design was his.

This isn’t the first time people have pointed out Yeezy’s fingerprints on SKYLRK. The brand’s oversized silhouettes and stripped down branding have drawn comparisons since it first launched.

Bieber’s connection to Ye goes back years, long before SKYLRK ever existed. That relationship has made side by side comparisons like this one almost expected whenever a new SKYLRK sneaker drops.

Design overlap is common across streetwear and sneakers, and inspiration doesn’t always mean direct copying. Still, a former Yeezy designer like Smith naming a specific unreleased shoe adds more weight than a typical online comparison.

For now, the claim remains unconfirmed by either side. But it’s added a new layer of conversation around a shoe that was already getting plenty of attention before this surfaced.