TikTok’s Influenece On Fashion Consumption
A black and white sneaker has also been considered a versatile footwear choice, so why is the panda dunk such a hated shoe? In recent years social media’s effect on fashion trends has been monumental, with the cycle of fashion trends becoming shorter every year. The 2010s ushered in Instagram and Pinterest, platforms that would become staples for those looking for fashion inspiration, but the 2020s bred a completely different beast. Today we’ll explore TikTok’s rising effect on sneaker culture and fashion trends and discuss its impact.
Sneaker culture isn’t a new phenomenon; in fact, sneakerheads have been around since the 1980s. Early sneakerheads were influenced to buy Air Jordans and Adidas by athletic and Music icons such as Micheal Jordan and Run DMC. This influence led to an underground community of collectors buying and shelving sneakers as a hobby, but this hobby quickly turned into a profession in the early 2000s. Sneaker enthusiasts and resellers alike would camp out in front of retailers just to be one of the first with the latest sneaker release on their feet. Today, most sneakerheads buy highly coveted sneakers for the sole purpose of reselling, jacking up the prices to profit from their investments. Sneakers sold retail for $200 can quickly end up costing $1000 on the resell market.
Now, what does all of this have to do with TikTok? Social media influencers are the tastemakers of the modern era who are paid to endorse products. It’ll only take a few swipes on TikTok to see what’s hot and what’s not; this enables sneakerheads to determine which sneaker is worth buying or not, and when they do buy, they purchase in bulk. Unfortunately, this leaves everyday sneaker wearers at a disadvantage, forcing them to buy from resellers at a higher price when they cannot purchase retail. Notable companies like Nike have made moves to combat resellers, banning those who buy multiple pairs of the same sneaker, but the influence of TikTok is strong and will only bring in more buyers with its expansive reach.
This problem is where the panda dunk comes in. Buyers hate the panda dunk due to its hype and accessibility; why want a sneaker that everyone has? Unlike its counterparts, the panda dunk has had multiple re-releases, and some view it as Nike trying to capitalize on the sneakers' simple colorway and the popularity it garnered from TikTok in 2021 and 2022. Most fear this will happen to future sneakers, but why is this a problem? The answer is quite simple, individuality.
Like sneakers, most clothing trends have seen a comeback and decline due to their presence on social media. Most see clothing as a way to display one’s personality, and if you’ve been on TikTok long enough, you’ve probably seen the rise of the word “Core.” Core in the fashion world describes a distinct way of dressing and represents your lifestyle. For example, those who like to spend their time in nature may lean towards gorp core, while those who want to live an average life may lean towards norm core. Clothing outlets have taken advantage of their products' hype and begun to increase the price.
This price increase isn’t a problem for newcomers looking to experiment with their style, but this is absurd for those who have been dressing to their particular niche/core. This dilemma has brought back the age-old gatekeeping debate from those who are viewed as posers. On the bright side, TikTok has enabled entrepreneurs to reach a broader range of fashion enthusiasts and has led to the creation of stylish yet sustainable clothes for different cores, so there has been a rise in more eco-friendly alternatives. Due to the increased frequency trend cycles, we’ve seen many different styles on different bodies, which most would attribute to TikTok. Following trends now and then can help a person on their journey to discover their individual style or reinvent themselves to experiment with colors, silhouettes, and patterns. Keeping what works for them and ditching what isn’t will only lead to individuals having more freedom of personal style.