Just because someone has fancy sneakers doesn't mean they can run faster.

The line uses a simple athletic image to separate appearance from ability: stylish or expensive gear can signal status, but it does not create real competence. Read more broadly, it cautions against confusing branding, image, or outward markers of success with the underlying work—training, discipline, and talent—that actually produces results. It also implies a critique of consumer culture and “performative” expertise: people may look the part without having earned it. As a piece of advice, it encourages judging by outcomes and substance rather than presentation, and investing in skill-building over superficial upgrades.