It's not at all uncommon to see promotional tie-ins between real-world brands and video games these days. However, finding a legendary character like Red Dead Redemption's John Marston being used to sell shoes is something out of the ordinary.
Red Dead Redemption is perhaps the most well-known game franchise set in the old west. It would make sense, then, for a tie-in to the series to sell cowboy and western-styled gear, but it's highly unlikely that this particular connection is a legitimate one.
RELATED: Red Dead Redemption 2 Fan Makes Real Life Versions of Dutch's Outfits
Shared on the Red Dead Redemption subreddit by Ancient-Mix1988, a photograph taken in a western clothing store reveals an image of John Marston, hat and head tipped down, prominently emblazoned on the side of a shoebox. No official branding tied in to Red Dead Redemption or Rockstar Games can be seen, as makes sense, considering there's no way that this is a legitimate branding partnership.
While the exact brand and type of shoe is unclear, the original poster says the shoes originated from Mexico. Those in the comments discussed how this likely happened, pointing out that it's plausible that a graphic designer simply searched for a cowboy or outlaw and settled upon this image. It may have been believed that Marston wouldn't be recognizable, and thus it would be safe to use the image. The picture is notably even flipped, possibly in a further effort to obscure its origins. However, it's still a violation of copyright law, and one that could get the shoe brand in trouble if Rockstar Games or parent company Take-Two learns of it.
Rockstar Games itself is no stranger to interesting advertisement and product tie-ins with its games. The Grand Theft Auto
Read more on gamerant.com