TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 intro 01:32 backstory of who FRYE is 04:26 my experience with FRYE boots 06:28 the reselling market of FRYE boots + FRYE boot dupes 09:21 the start of the tiktok target frye boot dupe drama 17:06 the FRYE boot dupe criticism BACKLASH 23:49 does the target frye boot dupe EVEN EXIST?? 26:50 my thoughts of tiktok dupe culture
OMG they are not dupes! Frye boots did not create a new styles of boot, the styles are classic and have been around since forever. This debate is redundant.
I have no sympathy for people, who paid an obscene amount of money for an item, complaining that the item they bought is going to become 'outdated' or 'oversaturated' because it is becoming too accessable and too trendy. Your boots will still be there after the trend is over, or were you only wearing them to look cool?
THIS THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL! I hate when people only care because they are afraid they won’t be “unique” anymore for being one of the only ones having or saving enough money to buy something expensive/quality that “normies” can’t afford. As long you try to be ethical that is what matters to me. Not all ethical things have to be hundreds of dollars. And a lot of shoes look similar honestly. Nothing is that original now days. There are things that are copies and others that are inspirations of other time eras.
Also, some people want to buy things that are not leather so that they’re not using animal products. Also I try to thrift shoes but the shoes at my thrift are usually disgusting/falling apart and online thrifts the fit never has worked but I keep trying to thrift only everything but shoes is hard
I gotta be honest, I agree with the tiktoker that spoke on the entitlement of consumers. Regardless of the existence of the 'Target dupe' in the way it was portrayed, her point still stands. People feel entitled to something that isn't a necessity. Do I wish I could afford $400 boots? Of course. But I can't so I can either save up or just enjoy looking at photos and live vicariously through others until the trend dies off as it inevitably will and I can snap them up for cheap in 3 years. Also, the tiktoker who left a comment saying that "dupes are good because who knows if you'll like the boots in five years" is the perfect reason why dupes are bad! Either you like the boot so much you'll die without it and so then it makes sense to save up for it OR you don't like the boot that much and therefore don't need a worse, less sustainable version of it. You can't have it both ways. If you already know you don't like something enough to care about it in five years, don't buy it!! Funnily enough, I think the tiktoker who was breaking down how many hours it would take to afford the boots was so close to the point and still missed it: someone (most likely a woman from our available data on garment workers), who is GUARANTEED to be getting paid less than the US minimum wage (based on well-known fast fashion exploitation of workers), would have to work double or triple or more than that to buy those boots (or, more likely, put food on the table, pay rent, etc). Why is it that the exploited worker who made those dupe boots matters less than your desire (manufactured by social media) to own (only something that *looks* like the real) boots? Its so weird to me to show how much those boots cost v the US minimum wage and for the conclusion to be "I should buy a knock-off to keep up with trends and contribute to the overconsumption that will kill this planet" instead of "wow, I - and every other worker - should be paid more". Sorry for the essay lol. Thanks for the video. I've sworn off tiktok so it feels like I'm keeping my finger on the pulse by watching these kinds of vids lol
totally agree and it also kinda sucks how the idea of accessibility comes into it and gets distorted. like, it's an important thing! but consideration for including people, including low-income people, in things that often exclude them doesn't mean it's unethical to charge prices everyone can't afford. one, because no price is affordable for everyone and two, because as long as we live in capitalism, someone needs to get paid, and a lot of someones in the supply chain. We need to have clothing and housing and transportation and recreation and food and education etc etc that are accessible to low-income people, and that's super important. but that is a completely different thing from saying everything should be cheap so that people can just buy whatever they feel like buying and not think about the consequences.
"Who knows if you'll like the boots in 5 years?" Well, you can be like the rest of us and just donate, sell, or give the boots to family/friends when we no longer want them. Or you can just not buy clothes that you won't like in only five years. I'm in college and still have clothes from middle school because I bought stuff I genuinely liked, not just because it was a trend. Even for trendy stuff that is now outdated, I still wear it because I genuinely like it and not because some random influencer wore it. Like, I don't know anyone IRL who hasn't had clothing for more than five years. The only reason I can see this happening is if you lose/gain weight or get pregnant. This is all TikTok brainrot fr.
@@XOXO-love222 buying something bc if you don't like it you can just sell or donate it isn't necessarily a good mindset either though! charities and thrift stores are filled to the brim with cheap products and a good portion of them are dumped in landfills... (i do agree with you, it's just about that point)
As a working class girlie seeing people use my existence as a justification for duping culture pisses me off. I am not entitled to disposable clothing made by slave labor and neither is anyone else
You do know that name brands use child labor too right. Name brands pay their employees Pennies in 3rd world countries. They’re no better than Shein. Look it up.
@@sashamoore9691 that’s absolutely untrue. You just don’t want to pay anyone a living or minimum wage. You could do your research and find plenty of brands right here in America that are very transparent about their working facilities and how much they pay their workers . But ya , $300 for a hoodie I guess isn’t ok , you can just use deflection to put out an absolute lie that all things are an ethical. Therefore, you don’t ever have to make a conscious effort to be ethical. That’s fucking sad.
@@baby.nay. There's people who truly can't afford to "pay people minimum wage", and don't find their sizes thrifting, or are not able bodied/don't have time to thrift. This discourse is absolutely elitarist and refuses to take into account the many people who simply can't afford to spend 1/3 of their monthly wage on a 200 $ boot, let alone a 500 $ boot that isn't even made in the USA, so we have to trust the brand to know it's ethically made.
I had lost that part at the first watch and yes, it sounds so weird 🤣 people want to be so woke (in the sense of awake) but then they sleep for real on a whole other host of reasons for why people would go for the less costly but still well made boot.
Technically that’s not what the op was saying. Your comment is an example of a star man fallacy. Which I knw you didn’t do on purpose but it’s important to recognize one when you see it.
Exactly! People are filming themselves saying the wildest shit and just put it online, it's crazy! You don't just admit that you have frye boots and then go onto say "not everyone should have them though:/". It's like "not everyone has to have frye boots! except for me because I'm special and not a peasant like you :)
I feel like the people most angry about dupes are the ones who can afford the originals and are mad their high end boots might be seen as cheaper, or something everyone else has, or something poor people are wearing. They don’t wanna be seen wearing the same shoes as people wearing Shein. And you can argue with me and say this isn’t fact, but I had my own moment of annoyance when I found a cute vintage shirt at the thrift, and then immediately see an ad for an exact replica Temu version of it somehow. Like this was a random shirt I found from like 2001 and thought it was super unique. Then I got annoyed realizing I won’t be the only one wearing it now that it’s being sold for less on Temu. And it makes mine look cheap now. Maybe not the same exactly, because I AM broke, so I’m not worried about what broke people need to do to stay in fashion (if that’s what they want.) But the point still stands, people definitely have this subconsciously going on in their mind because of the innate need to buy something that makes them feel more important and unique. There’s a reason designer costs so much. It’s so not everyone is able to wear it. Companies curate their own customer base by making things affordable or completely unaffordable. ETA: if you think everyone buying dupes is just buying them for the moment, you’re wrong. I own a lot of cheaper shoes that I’ve had for years and years. I wear them until they fall apart (none have so far,) and it’s an unfair assumption that these are all just momentary purchases. Chances are, if it’s a micro-trend, even the $400 boots won’t get worn by someone in 5 years either lmao. The boots aren’t even cute enough to be doing any of this in the first place 🙄
i think it might have been phrased the wrong way, but ultimately the takeaway should be: fashion, especially good quality and sustainable fashion, isn't very accessible to the average person, but also.... the average person doesn't realize that a good garment is going to be fairly expensive because it isn't mass-produced, and is made with care and expertise, from the fabric to the sewing etc etc. fast fashion/capitalism completely ruined people's perception. a great, well-made shirt isn't supposed to cost $5. so the real big issue, which is that it is inaccessible not necessarily because the price is unreasonable, but because people are undervalued and underpaid, gets hidden inside a smaller russian doll and people focus on the wrong thing and we just end up with shitty temporary fixes. the real problem is much, much bigger. the solution isn't to make dupes so a cheap version, made with cheap fabrics in terrible conditions, hits the market and makes it accessible to everyone, it's to dismantle our current system so good quality clothing is accessible to all. (and also to consume less and more thoughtfully). i do think there's an argument to be made about pricing, and how clothing not being super inexpensive forces people to stop, question whether or not it will be a good lasting investment, and consume more intentionally. secondhand fashion slowly evolving into fast fashion, and thrift/charity stores being filled with poor-quality products and dupes IS a problem. screaming about classism and elitism is valid, but those shitty dupes that don't last aren't destroyed or recycled, they're just dumped in poor countries, which are left to deal with landfills of fashion waste. so we're clear : an item being expensive does not mean it's sustainable or ethically made, price does not guarantee quality. something being expensive =/= good quality. HOWEVER the production of good quality products should not and cannot be cheap, because of the skills, labour and materials. the people making your clothes also deserve a living wage, and better conditions means more investment. those skills are also valuable and should been seen as such. these are two different points.
I agree but $450 for boots? Still a lot of money. That's just brand name markup. You can find locally sourced quality leather boots for like $50-100 which is more sustainable for the average person if you consider you'll have the shoes for 15+ years with proper care
@@nitzeart Quality leather boots will never be under $100, hopefully you arent being serious. $450 is actually a good price for a long term, quality boot. Thursday boot Co makes solid boots for around $200, that is the lowest you should ever go. Anything lower is probably bonded leather (leather shreds glued together) or faux leather. Both of these look good on the shelf but age horribly. You get what you pay for with leather goods.
@@austah2150 I have good quality boots for that price. Real leather. They're locally done that's why they're cheaper. And it's actual leather because I live somewhere where a lot fo these "high quality" shoes from international brands are manufactured. I have had one pair of them resoled and even the cobbler said they were good quality and had a lot of life on them. I think they're almost 10 years aold now. Also $100 isn't cheap for someone not from the US, btw. Anything above 200 for me it's too much for boots. Dr Martens boots just over that price too, so...
@@nitzeart Ok fair, I didn't realize you lived outside the US. If the cost of living is low where you live it would make sense why a locally done pair would be a cheaper price. I live in the US so I was thinking about options available to an average US consumer. Also I personally wouldnt consider Dr Marten's quality boots, mostly because they cant be easily resoled.
@austah2150 Yeah, the overconsumption and quality vs price and anything fashion is always very US centric but we're used to it 😅 I actually don't know if Dr Martens are quality or not, they're not worth the price tag for me personally because I don't love the style, but I've seen people talk about them like they're good quality (or at least they used to be very good?) So idk.
Seeing thrifted items become trendy to the point where the people who found their item on the floor somewhere criticize the people who buy similar items with comparable quality for making their thrift find feel cheap gives me major paralel dimention vibes 😂
I'm honestly tired of seeing rich influencers telling people that their choices are harming the environment and that they're not "entitled" to own a pair of frye boots because many sustainable clothing brands are extremely expensive and not accessible to most people. I think theae influencers are entitled for thinking they can talk down to people and accuse them of making their clothing "tacky" because poor people are able to wear the same style.
@Bellabirdtheoneandonly and managing to get "cool" finds like designer pieces is something that is very much impossible outside of the internet if you don't live in a large city. Like, I live in a deprived area with a largely older population. I'm lucky if I find *shein* at the second hand shop instead of fast fashion granny brands. I definitely am not finding anything close to Frye boots.
This video made me realize not everyone lives in the real world. Dupes are no where near as important as rent prices going up while minimum wage stays the same. People focus on the wrong things these days. Must be nice doom scrolling on tiktok all day and not working in the corporate world to make ends meet.
it's a fashion channel and if you're in iltge industry the dupe vs "original" designs, prices and fast fashion are the forever issues that smb has to address 😢
The reasoning behind people being mad about the “dupe” is absolutely exclusivity. Imagine paying $130 on a dress and then within two weeks it becomes the symbol of overconsumption and tackiness! Can’t have that happening to thier $400 boots 😅. Dupes of designer items are a natural part of the fashion cycle (of course not unethical stolen designs from small businesses). It was expected that most people wouldn’t be able to buy a real Birkin so they would get something that mostly looked the same. People who pay for designer pay for the status as much if not more than the actual craftsmanship of the item. Designers lead the way and the rest of us follow. The issue becomes when the trend cycle is months or even weeks instead of years, and that’s where encouraging mindful consumption comes in. I’m all for speaking truth to power and holding brands accountable, but ultimately it doesn’t matter if your boots cost $400 or $250 as long as you like them, will use them for a reasonable amount of time, and they aren’t totally cheap plastic crap you bought for a photo shoot.
I love the way you discuss topics. It validates all sides and is very balanced. I am coming from a poor girl perspective and I gotta say those tiktoks just sound like spoiled rich kids complaining that their super cool elite item is going to look “trashy” because the poor kids are wearing it now…… but maybe I’m just defensive 😂🤷♀️ Also I agree that people aren’t entitled to an item just because they want it but the argument of “save up for it” is very out of touch. A lot of us are living pay check to pay check and can only afford one very cheap item every 6 months or so. I can’t speak for every poor person but for myself I would not consider myself an over consumer because I physically cannot over consume. If fast fashion brands didn’t make trendy clothes for cheap I would not be able to buy cute clothes. Not only can I not afford expensive brands but I am also plus size so they don’t even cater to me. Also target might as well be name brand items because I can’t even afford them. 🤷♀️ that’s a poor girl’s perspective.
So this is why I go to thrift stores and shop on Mercari and ebay as someone on Social Security living on the poverty line and I am plus size as well so I am kind of confused where a lot of plus size people come from this “I can’t find my clothing in size anywhere” when I have curated an amazing wardrobe for myself granted it’s taken time because it’s mostly done at thrift or flea markets (and i have no car thankfully 2 thrifts in walking distance) but at least I’m not spending money on slave labored cheap trendy clothing that’s not gonna hold up in the wash overtime because I’m poor enough where I can’t afford to keep replacing my cheap shein or Temu clothing every year. Ive never actually used shein because ive done way too much research on that company. I feel like people like to use certain things as an excuse to justify what they are doing because at the end of the day thrift store clothing is People‘s old clothing therefore it’s not a new outfit being put into the world by slave labour
@@KristenZianourry2015 that is amazing that you have been able to shop on these areas! That is amazing! I do mostly buy my things from a thrift store but there are somethings I have trouble with like belts, shoes, and pants. My local thrift stores are not overflowing with plus sized clothes so it definitely is a challenge but it is my main source. Sadly when I am able to thrift my size it is usually still fast fashion brands because good quality plus size clothes just don't find their way to my local thrift stores. My friends know I will get down in the search for some thrifted clothes. I don't buy off of online thrift portals because it is very likely that items won't look right on me and they don't have the return options. Mercari is actually still too expensive generally for me but there is some cool stuff on there. Again it is awesome that you do that! It is definitely the goal.
I feel like with shoes there is more of a grey area with dupes in my opinion. Obviously there is the affordability factor but certain brands of shoes might accommodate the shape or arch of your foot better. Like certain brands just don’t work for certain peoples feet. I also think while there are overall negative aspects of online dupe culture overall it’s less likely to hurt larger businesses than smaller businesses. There’s always going to be the appeal of buying the ‘real thing’ particularly for more pricey or cult brands. A company like Frye will probably be ok if there are similar boots out there. While smaller businesses who get ripped off feel the effects a lot more. There’s an artist I’ve followed for a while whose had some financial issues and one of her there is a ‘dupe’ of one of her purse on Amazon, which is taking sales away from her small business. So with dupe discourse I think some of it can be case by case. Thanks for the breakdown!
Was going to post almost the same thing. I don’t even consider Frye because they are so uncomfortable for my feet. They don’t fit my arches properly. I have bought other brands that are similar in style because they were comfortable for me. To me, only considering shoes, there are so many brands that look similar and people should buy what is comfortable and works for your feet. Clothing dupes are a different conversation for me.
personally, i would rather buy a dupe of THESE SPECIFIC BOOTS than try and get them on the secondhand market when i would be paying MORE than retail price for them. i personally refuse to pay over retail for anything secondhand. i also don't know how these boots would fit me and would rather be able to have a safe and easy return process over trying to resell them myself. i can justify spending $50-$200 to try this style of boot for the first time to see how well it meshes with my personal style, and then investing in the real deal if i like them and get a lot of use out of them. when i got my first pair of sambas i got them secondhand for $40, wore them everyday until they wore out, and then bought a full price pair.
I think this whole situation is pretty interesting when you view it through the lens of conspicuous consumption (a theory by Veblen). Highly coveted items like these boots function as status symbols, and therefore not only reflect personal preferences but also serve as indicators of "taste". People use these items to showcase their economic, social or cultural capital, signaling a sense of prestige/status and belonging to a certain group (e.g. being seen as someone who is into fashion = high cultural capital). From this perspective, I think we can consider dupes or counterfeits to be an imitation of status, or even as critiques of capitalism. For some, this is offensive because it undermines a brand's authenticity, and good dupes weaken a status symbol's effectiveness and symbolic power. For others, dupes represent the democratisation of luxury goods, making them more accessible to larger groups. However, I think there's always a grey area when it comes to the legal and ethical considerations of dupes/counterfeits...
I think you make good points but also as dupes are more and more popular, it diminishes the power of the real thing as a status symbol, but also diminishes the power of the dupes as a democratization of the status symbol because people are less likely to assume they're real. most people who know enough to ID the status symbol are likely to know if the dupes are common. So there might be a thought to wonder if you're a person who wears real x item or who wears dupes, and what that says about you, but it's not a straightforward access to the status symbol for people with less money. it's an interesting distortion, at least as long as the dupes are good enough for people to wonder. if the dupes aren't actually convincing, they might label the wearer as someone who keeps up with the trends, but can't or doesn't choose to afford the real thing. (sometimes this might be wrong though, people could absolutely buy a dupe by accident without even realizing it's imitating something trendy) i don't think we're at a point societally where a choice to wear a dupe communicates a critique of capitalism to others (except possibly if you know the person and have reason to conclude that's likely the intent) unless it's the kind of humorously bad knockoff that is ultimately showing off that it's a knockoff. (i have friends who collect those) that's not to say that there isn't undermining of the capitalist system in the choice to wear dupes, but it's rejecting one part of the system to buy into another part... unless you make your own dupes! i love kathleenillustrated's homemade and creative dupes and i do think those can def read as a critique of capitalism
@@ArtichokeHunter Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I agree that high status groups will probably recognise dupes, and identify them as outsiders. However, those who are not well-versed in identifying dupes might still perceive them to be genuine, and believe in the symbolic value that item represents. In that case, it’s less about being accepted by high status group and more about setting yourself apart from lower status groups. About the critique of capitalism, I don't mean that people buying dupes are outright rejecting the capitalist system itself. I see it more as a rejection of exclusivity and gatekeeping within the luxury goods market. It's a subtle (and often unconscious) critique of how high staus groups attempt to differentiate and segregate themselves from low status groups through luxury consumption. I believe this to be especially true for those who openly admit that they buy dupes and have a blasé attitude towards the opinions of others, as this kind of behaviour directly undermines the symbolic power of luxury goods as status symbols. Anyhow, Veblen's theory is focused on the structural side of consumption, which makes it pretty lacking concerning the agency of individuals. But it's an interesting perspective nonetheless! Thanks again for engaging with me, I enjoyed reading it
@@MaraAnnelisa that makes sense! I guess my point re: capitalist critique is just that while it may be undermining the luxury/status symbol side of things, it's buoying up the fast fashion side, so it's still buying into capitalism (a little less with thrifting or a small business maybe, but unless it's a hand me down, clothing swap, dumpster diving, or made yourself, it's gonna fall somewhere under capitalism. Just not the luxury bit. I'm far out from my reading on these things so just running on my thoughts
@@ArtichokeHunter Oh yeah, I'm on the same side! I don't think these perspectives have to be mutually exclusive though. Something or someone can critique capitalism while still reinforcing capitalist beliefs, which I'd say could (sometimes) be the case with dupes. Is it a hollow critique? Maybe. Honestly, I’d argue it’s probably not the most effective critique of capitalism anyway, haha. But it certainly prompts an interesting discussion!
I recently came across a tiktok talking about how Dupes are ruining creativity in design. That the high price tags of designer items forced smaller designers and artists to get creative and innovation with what they were putting out, maybe even taking inspiration from that designer item but giving it a new spin to make it something bold and new. If every brand just makes a copy of the designer item so everyone can have the "same" thing, there's no room for growth, no forward momentum in the culture and everyone becomes bored faster and moves on thus contributing to the waste cycle
jumpscare…my face lol👁️👄👁️ I think the current state of dupe and knock off culture are a part of the larger issue of overconsumption!! Whether someone thrifts or buys fast fashion, I hope they are being intentional with their purchases and plan on wearing and rewearing the item for years to come!
If we want the value/retail price of items to make more sense (instead of cheap slave labor and insane brand-recognition mark-ups) we have to be willing to take responsibility in our consumption. I very frequently thrift over buying new and there is a GULT of objects, in all sizes, available out there. The argument here is people are saying they "deserve" cheap dupes like they deserve a pair of shoes that fit. These are not the same argument; everyone deserves clothes to cover themselves and shoes that protect their feet, this is a universal truth / moral premise that's firmly taken hold since the last century. However, that is absolutely not the same argument made here; here people are saying they "deserve" to have "access" to a specific trendy style, that copies another person's design effort for a price that they deem personally to be "affordable" (affordability is always relative to the individual; there is no way to identify a "truly affordable" price point). If you go back in time 50 years, 100 year or 200 years ago you will find clothing, even second-hand, was much more expensive then today. We are spoiled for choice; so the outrage has now narrowed down to "but I want that boot, not just any boot". I don't mean to sound so harsh, but it's this attitude of "i deserve" that fuels the fast fashion industry. No one individual consumer is responsible for the ecological impact, or the human rights violations that are taking place, but to make change we have to first look in the mirror and ask; "Do I own enough objects to cloth myself?" if the answer is yes, then everything you buy from that point forward is out of desire. There is nothing wrong with desiring to express yourself through clothing, but it is not a reason for you to then demand we generate more pollution and poorer working environments for factory workers.
@@tamara10 And, just to tack on to it a bit, if we start being more honest about our consumer habits; admitting that beyond necessity we often "want" and "desire", then that steers the discussion on how to build a better fashion eco system in a positive direction where progress can happen. The word "Deserve" creates misdirection; it centers the focus around a very inward-facing topic of "What do I deserve?" instead of the more outward perspective of saying; "I desire. How can I get what I desire in a more ethical way?". These are the kind of "mental traps" that limit progress in any situation, because there is an outward problem (over-consumption driving over-production) but by focusing on yourself and looking inward it de-rails and disconnects your mental energy from creating a solution that impacts the world around you. Personal growth is important; understanding yourself is important; but it's a very important skill to be flexible and learn when to look in and when to look out; if we only look in then we are only helping ourself. If we only look out then we're never growing as an individual. The trick is to teach yourself when the context of the situation is better addressed with one perspective or the other.
Target does have a moto boot that I've seen in brown and black (and it doesn't actually look like the frye moto boot either but may be a dupe for a brand I'm not in the know of). I was so excited when I saw them, only to try them on and decide that I didn't like the way I look in them. so I do appreciate the accessibility of letting me de-influence myself
yeah I think art and expression need to be inclusive and not gate-kept, but fashion as a form of CONSUMPTION is not a right. I do think that elitism in fashion is a big problem, but I definitely think that was not the critic's concern, more about the speed of trend cycles and consuming cheap things because you want the look and not value the craft. I do agree that these boots are a weird target for this convo though, because of course the "dupe" is still two hundred dollars?? It's still not accessible or anything. definitely think there is a conversation to be had about clothing and self expression being less inclusive with the popularity of thrifting causing rising prices, but attacking the boots is crazy.
agree with the part about fast fashion can be sustainable too though! I think if someone buys these boots and wears them for ten or twenty years then it matters less where they came from
I feel like most people buy dupes without even knowing theyre dupes. Not everyone is this into fashion. maybe its bc im not american but this vid is the first time ive even heard of this brand for example😂
I think that at its core, buying items like the Frye boots are just an example of conspicuous consumption. Sure there are a percentage of people buying the boots bc they find them actually comfortable/fitting with their personal style etc etc, but a MAJORITY of the people buying the boots are buying them because other people have them. They want to be a part of the trend, and therein lies the issue. The issue isn't with individual consumers and what they decide to buy or not buy, but the societal mentality of "trends" and how it pushes people to buy items that they actually don't like that much. Again, not the individual consumer's fault, and gods know that all of us have fallen victim to this at some point. But maybe it's time for people to actually sit down and consider why they want the boots so badly? Is it because you genuinely find it cute, comfortable, wearable? Or is it just because you saw [insert influencer here] wear it and you started coveting it? Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to be fashionable, but I'm honestly just so over trends going out of style at the speed of sound and creating mountains of waste in its wake. That being said, people in those tiktoks and comments are really getting pissed off for the wrong reasons. Why are you criticizing a creator for making valid points by saying things like "wow okay rich", no one is holding you at gunpoint to go buy the real Frye boots? No one is making you buy or not buy anything, at the end of the day it's literally still your choice. Buy the dupe, don't buy the dupe, whatever. The BIGGER concern you should be having is whether you actually like the boots you're buying. Also, people saying that dupes that are too close to the original and how it's taking away from the "specialness" of the real thing are the ACTUAL elitists lol. At this point of the Frye boot fame, you saying that is just snobbery and elitism. Just admit you want to be special and you don't want other people to have your special thing. At this point in Frye fame, it's no longer about the creativity or originality of the design, it's about, again, conspicuous consumption and showing off the fact that you have a thing that a lot of people can't get. (This is also why I /hate/ luxury brands with a burning passion)
I gotta be honest I feel like I cannot empathize with people who feel like "cute trendy clothes" is a human right... like... I can't afford $200 boots either but I don't feel entitled to an "affordable" pair made with child labor and contributing to the climate crisis lol. Most people can't afford it! It's fine! No one will die or have their quality of life legitimately altered by not having a cute pair of boots.
Like why are we worried about the affordability of trendy boots!! Girl the housing crisis!!!! Their concerns with accessibility and affordability begin and end at their American centric consumerist ideals. God forbid someone brings up the human rights of the people who make their garments, and the people who have to deal with the aftermath of discarded textile waste in the Global South... who will incidentally will be the first most effected by the disastrous consequences of climate change. But noooooo I NEED a pair of plastic trendy boots or I will LITERALLY DIEEEE
One thing I find very odd is people arguing that no one should spend that much "for a pair of boots". That it's Too Much, specifically for a pair of boots. And the implication that someone shouldn't save up over a long period of time for them. But... why? We spend plenty of money on discretionary purchases when we can, sometimes saving up for them, especially if they're electronics. Why don't we value boots as a big purchase that could serve us for years to come? That isn't to say that I think that we shouldn't be more capable of affording a 500 dollar boot. We're overworked and underpaid. We shouldn't have to save for months for that one purchase. But something made of high-quality materials, well-constructed, and produced ethically, WILL be a lot of money. There is simply no way around this.
Yeah, that is a weird argument because isn't one of the most common theories of where to spend your money... "shoes and a mattress because if you're not in one you're in the other"?
Maybe it's just where I'm from or how I was raised, but at my high school/university, you didn't want people thinking you were wearing a dupe. Like you either had the real thing or didn't say it was a dupe. I was in neither camp as I was aggressively unfashionable lol. It's just wild to me how popular and advertised dupes are nowadays.
It's so wild to me to see this brand in the middle of controversy, since I went on a hunt last year for real leather lace up boots and really only found two that weren't thousands of dollars, and Vintage Foundry was one of them. I invested in a pair and have been super happy with the quality - they are definitely not fast fashion pieces. They are still an investment and still made by a legitimate shoe brand with good materials! Nobody should be throwing these boots away in a month 😂
If you're ever looking for another brand to check out, Thursday Boots are incredible and worth every penny. They never run sales and are the same price year round bc they run low margins in general.
Same, I have a pair of riding boots from them that I got over ten years ago in high school and combat boots I bought in 2021! Frye has always just been a good shoe company to me, never trendy
Fryes were such a disappointment for me. The soles of my boots just peeled off, like straight up. I got them fixed because I paid quite a bit of money for them and they're boots that wear their 'wear and tear' well visually, but man... In the meanwhile I have a 40 euro pair of boots I got from a sketchy shoestore like 10 years ago and despite looking clearly worn, they still hold their shape, are comfortable, and have not needed a cobbler even once. Shows me that just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it's not complete ass.
I think my issue is some of these brands are up charging by a thousand % what the value of a product is and it’ll still be produced unsustainably or unethically because if it wasn’t they’d ANNOUCNCE it and we’d know. And many times the quality and materials will be close to the target or cheaper thing anyways. So i don’t condone stealing ideas but I also think you don’t want “the poors” as your customer base and that’s fine byeeee. This of course doesn’t apply to a company like Frye that’s been making well made products and has owned this style for decades. And makes a long lasting quality product worth the price. But lately even those brands are compromising quality for the bottom line 🤷🏽♀️
i’m crying i thought this was just gonna be niche fashion tiktok discourse when i made me video so it’s so funny to see you posted this on the exact same day!
I saw this same scenario play out with the tj maxx dupe of the rowe bag. A girl made a video saying she went and checked it out and that she didnt think the quality was on par. Then proceeded to say you should just save for the bag and she doesnt even know if she wants it anymore because the dupes are popular. I looked up the rowe bag and was shocked to find out it was $5000 and such a basic bag. Saying its tacky now etc makes me think they want to own the expensive items for the wrong reasons and it gives "you cant sit with us"
What's crazy is I literally thrifted a pair of target mossimo harness boots from the early 2000s and they are still made in China but the quality is insane. They look just like frye boots and are made from real leather
I guess I'll finally found out if I really like the fry campus boot or if I'm just being influenced, once they start becoming uncool. Also it's very timely that this video came out now, since I am trying to find good leather boots second hand, but it is so hard to find any good pair that fits my wide calves. It's hard even buying new, at least in the EU. I can only find cheap faux leather or super expensive wide calf boots and none of them are in the styles I like. It's so crazy how all boots shafts don't come in different sizes.
These boots won't ever become uncool, they've been a classic for decades for a reason, despite the TT crowd. I don't know what your budget is but as you said you're in the EU, Penelope Chilvers does wider calf fits and her boots are most definitely of great quality. I'm not affiliated with Penelope Chilvers, just a happy customer of many years.
"Do I want to own this item badly enough for someone in the production chain to be exploited or the planet to be harmed?" That is the question I try to ask myself with every purchase that is non-sustainable and not necessary. And yes, sometimes I ignore the answer to that question. But we can all at least try.
Unfortunately most companies, even the ones that are expensive, produce in countries like China and possibly exploit their workers. She said that Frye also outsourced and produces there now. Why would I assume their 500$ boots are any more sustainable than other brands? Bc of the price? That would be naive
What’s ironic is I just found a pair of Frye boots at my Winners ( 🇨🇦 version of TJ Max) for $80 and bought them for fall/winter. Also found some Free People boots there too 😂
@alexasunshine83 so smart omg this blew up on my fyp🤦♀️and tbh...those banana boots are just another microtrend the girlies are going to forget about in 2.5 weeks😭
Ok but Frye had a campus boot back in 1800 something then stopped making them. Then in the 1960s The redesigned them, changed the toe and added the square chunky heel and rereleased them. You know in the 60s and 70s when that was already the most popular style of boot. They changed that boot to fit with the style that people were already wearing.
For dupes in general I don't purchase them because I know the quality isn't as good. But I guess if I somehow found a dupe for an item I wanted that had the same quality but for a lower price I'd buy it?? But I'd argue that a product that offers that is truly better and not a fast fashion trend chasing knock off. Another sort of interesting thing is that these specific boots I don't really consider to be universal, or classic, or everybody's style. Like yes they're pretty neutral but if I was going to spend that much on ONE pair of boots it would probably be like a cooler brown or black. Idk I feel like ppl low key just need to resist the influence of trends on specific items so they're not tempted to buy them or their dupes 🤷🏻
Trends just help me look for quality brands secondhand. Frye boots are gorgeous and the less trendy designs are still affordable secondhand. There are other great boot brands people can dive into (old Harley Davidson, El Dante, Freebird, Ariat, Old Gringo) Unfortunately, modern consumers (in general) are fickle & less concerned over quality, thus less inclined to research & *save* for certain products. The overall problem, as pointed out by most comments, is overconsumption (applicable to any market from books to especially fashion). The classist take in defense of dupes is easily debatable with the simple reason that fashion is not a necessity but a luxury.
I grew up as a new-pair-of-walmart-sneakers-every-year kid, they'd wear out quick but that's what we could afford. At 16 I bought my first own pair of shoes, $50 knee high lace up black combat boots. I loved those things and wore them into my 20s. At 23 I bought a discounted steve madden pair of short combat boots, and wore them daily until they started falling apart after only a year. It was only then I realized maybe I needed to just save and spring for a pair of leather Docs since I knew I loved the style so much. Been wearing my doc Jadons for 4 years now, and last year sprung for a second pair in the fur lined version for a winter boot. I'm not like a "shoe girlie" so maybe my perspective isn't broad enough, but I do really resonate with the creator (Caroline, was it?) who talked about entitlement around consumerism, especially in the age of such overflowing thrift stores and online second hand reselling.
on another note, I'd love to hear you talk about the fast-fashionification of high-end and designer brands, now many have been ripping off pieces from small designers!
like it's honestly kinda irritating and saddening to see people *only* focus on the "is the original creator gonna be ok" or "it's a big brand so they're gonna be find regardless" rather than 1/ the ecological impact (which is an absolute disaster) 2/ how much you're contributing to making poorer countries (especially in the south of Africa) even more miserable, 3/ the exploited, piss poor workers who make those dupes. the bigger picture is much more harrowing.
I find this funny because until the last few years I’d never heard of Frye boots. I graduated from HS in the mid 90s during the grunge era and remember Harley Davidson Moto Harness boots being the IT boot back then. I don’t understand this controversy it’s a boot style that’s been around for ages. Its sort of like cowboy boot, ballet flats or loafers each manufacturer has their own interpretation.
the elitist argument really gets me because it’s like “well, someone else in another country is suffering to produce cheap clothes for me, and you are a classist elitist for pointing that out to me”, despite the existence of fast fashion actually being a bit classist and elitist?
@@whithehearthro It's elitist in my opinion because it's literally taking advantage of people that get paid wayyy less than what is a living wage for middle class people to buy those products! The mega conglomerates act classists towards their employees by taking a huge part of the cost and making them starve... I hope ithat makes sense.
@@whithehearthro fast fashion ignores the needs of those who are in a lower class situation ( garment workers ) and actively worsens their communities and their wages in order to further the consumers own gain and to obtain cheap goods for them. I think often we forget that to most of the world, we are the rich and we have power over their economic situations.
it's interesting because i think dupe culture started in makeup which makes sense because typically makeup shades are not *that* revolutionary and if you can find a similar shade at a lower cost, especially when designer brands are expensive because of the custom packaging, dupes made sense. but then dupe culture transferred to fashion where now it's about stealing from artists and small businesses which is not cool. i think it's a complicated conversation because there's talk about classism, environmentalism, influencers, capitalism, there's just so much to consider. ultimately i think the best route is to thrift or make your own iterations of things you find inspirational and focus less on wanting the exact or carbon copy of the next new thing.
I’m stunned, I’ve had a pair of Frye boots for over a decade and didn’t realize that they’re considered “cool” now! I’m not up to date with fashion news, so this was such an interesting look into what’s going on. Also glad you’re feeling better!
I thrifted fyre boots at a SF market for 50 bucks. And believe it or not my friend scored a pair FREE bc she saw them in someone’s like curbside trash just on the street. And they were her size
It is wild to me that even something that is produced in America doesn’t make it good quality or fair trade. It won’t be like that until we get a livable minimum wage.
I’m going to start this off with I respect the video and your ability to see all side of an issue, not many are capable of that and I don’t think you give yourself enough credit at how well you can put together a document type script. I’m honestly surprised you have been to journalism school! I think it’s elitist af to tell people they aren’t allowed to buy “dupes” or things that look similar to “popular” clothing items. I understand sustainability but it’s ridiculous to put that solely on the consumer when we aren’t the one responsible for the climate issues in the first place. Not to mention most “sustainable, expensive” items are made just like the crap from target or Walmart. Not everyone wants to pay $500+ for boots that are going to hurt their feet or they don’t want to wear leather. Who knows, not anyone making snap judgments on tictok, that’s for sure. Maybe I just have a different relationship with clothing than people that do this as a “job” (which in itself is elitist, not everyone has a job where they tear apart other people’s fashion choices” but I’ve always been a big on wearing whatever tf you want, whatever makes you feel comfortable and safe, because it’s no one else’s business. At the end of the day it’s just clothes. If buying a weird color pair of boots from Amazon to try out the look makes someone happy. Then let them because throwing a fit about it is weird.
And if you don’t wear something you love because other people bought it then you probs didn’t love it that much and you’re just part of the perceived issue now.
Frye come in style very often. I used to sell them and the Harness, Campus, Billy, Melissa and Engineer have sold out in stores every season with no problem :)
2 місяці тому
Steve Madden really just knocks off every brand from Balenciaga to Versace, and sells those knock offs for a price that the average workers still cannot afford, at least in Europe.
Thank you so much for explaining this! I saw the videos about the drama also and was trying to search up the Target boot in question and was left so confused.
Ok, Im old but love fashion and especially girlies (and boys) who are different, unique, artsy, and creative. Why would you want the same boot as every other person? Stop getting caught up in the need to have what everyone else has and just be yourself. Now, heres the thing about what you buy...I worked in retail management for many years and guess what items have some of the biggest markups at the store...yes....shoes. Cosmetics and shoes have enormous profit margins no matter the brand. The Frye boots made in other countries could be sold for half the orice and Frye would still make bank. The US made cost a bit more because of higher labor but it depends where the factory is. They may be made where someone is only making the minimum wage which doesnt add another $200 worth to that boot. What are factory conditions here? Id be curious to know if the rmployees are getting good benefits to justify the cost of the goods. Find a seller on Etsy making handmade boots and buy from them. Support a small business and get something unique and beautiful. If you want the Frye boot and have the money then by all means, buy them. Yes, they will last but think about this, will you still want to wear them 5 years from now? If the answer is no then why invest in them? Find a style you like (please get real leather) and start your own trends, dont wear what 30 other people are wearing. I imagine a campus with every other girl wearing the exact boots and cut-off shorts lik "Children of the Corn" or "Stepford Wives'. Ugh.
as a person who isn't on social media TikTok ig Facebook etc... I dont see dupes come across me as often as most of you all scroll on social media everyday the only dupe ive bought all year is my free people duo corset cami dupe from amazon and they are amazing and I actually bought the free people one too on poshmark and they are both basically the same just freepeople has a slightly different shoulder sleeve and a deeper v but its still something I enjoy so much and I will wear forever and not all dupe culture is bad like anything else but it depends on us as a person and the product and I do agree that finding dupes for something that won't last 3 months is stupid if society was more intentional as a whole and see it being used for years on end its not as stupid but if were not intentional it isn't worth it
I think this whole thing is just the fast fashion conversation all over again. It's not an individual consumer issue. If you need some boots and you as an individual like the frye style, by all means buy whatever you want, be the dupe or not, as long as you take care of it and don't just toss it wihtin a year (esp if the vintage foundry is good quality and real leather). Because really $450 for boots it's a big brand markup. Good quality doesn't have to be expensive! It's the overconsumption thing again. The wanting to have the latest trend at the expense of the planet and human rights of workers. It's the companies, it's amazon and shein for their horrible practices. As an individual, best you can do is be a mindful consumer, protest, hold the companies accountable, get hands on with climate action, etc. Because yes that fashiom creator could sound a little gatekeepy, depening on how you take her intentions and tone. Also considering how high fashion is already eurocentric and "a rich people" game. This whole situation could have been avoided if that creator had taken two breaths, calmed down, saved the video in her drafts and then thought about a little more before posting. Poor girl is now in an online controversy 😅 It's a lesson on how NOT to post on social media.
Good quality made ethically DOES have to be expensive, though, if not purchased secondhand. Obviously expensive does not indicate quality, and brand markups exist, but the cost of materials + well-compensated labour etc will always make these things "expensive".
so i unintentionally bought the target dupe for the harness boot and had no idea. Like i didn't know anything about frye i just bought the target boot bc they were cute and wide calf...so imagine my confusion when all this controversy started lol. I was like "we are fighting over a target boot?" this was good explanation of the backlash though.
Hey Alexa! Love your fashion content. I don’t have TikTok so you keep me in the loop. I would love more of this type of video. This one felt a bit unorganized, a bit between a video essay and pop culture news commentary. Look forward to how these videos will get even stronger over time!
I’ve liked dupes in the past bc I couldn’t afford items but tbh sometimes I would’ve preferred the original. I like stuff based on the style of it not how much it costs. It depends on what ur willing to pay for a thing and what it’s means to you. But also I’ve seen dupes like boots in stores my whole life. It’s not a new concept stores like target are doing this. But I agree that trend culture is ridiculous. I think if you genuinely want the shoes and it aligns with your style not just a trend and you can’t afford the expensive option it’s fine. But if you’re buying the newest trends every week or month you have an issue. I think ppl having to have the newest trend constantly isn’t sustainable. Also as an artist myself I agree that you should always buy from the artist or small business for their creation.
I really enjoyed the background music that was playing during the 15:30 timestamp! Sometimes, when I’m watching a UA-cam video the background music is too loud or the music itself is so distracting that I can’t finish the video lollll might just be too sensitive to that kind of stuff🤷♀️ but I think you have great taste in background music and understand its purpose!!💖
I think it becomes a problem when people who can afford more expensive, high-quality and original pieces, particularly influencers, decide to buy cheap dupes because they don't commit to long term pieces and prefer to prioritize trends at an affordable price. people with lower incomes deserve to have an option and I will never guilt trip them for choosing dupes or fast fashion, and even though they obviously contribute to that system (just like we all do because we can't escape it), they are NOT THE PROBLEM!!! the problem is big corporations and the accomplices are well-off people that choose fast fashion trends and lower quality over sustainability, originality and ethics.
Now that you mention it, the quality of shoemaking especially leather in Mexico is top notch. (Other leather goods are also very well made). Seriouly. Many of the best international shoe companies outsource their manufacturing here (it's probably also cheaper labor than other countries and then charge very high prices for the finished product but that's a whole different conversation). If you come to Mexico, buy some shoes 😅 Dr martens who? Frye who?? Best shoes I own are from mexican brands and shoemakers. Not to mention traditional huaraches.
For sure!! On FRYE’S official Amazon listing they have a section that says “MADE IN THE USA” which isn’t true for all their shoes so I just wanted to make that note!
@@alexasunshine83 Yeah, the "made in" is also a legal loophole because as long as the finishing touches of a garment/product is done in said country you can put made in whatever country you prefer 😅 Luxury brands are infamous for doing this. It's another layer of transparency or lackthereof from brands that you need to consider as a consumer.
I thought this was about the moto fyre boot because I do remember target having a dupe of them last winter. So I assumed they had brought the style back again
So much of the retail cost you pay for these trendy pieces or brands is pure profit for these companies. It's a prestige cost. You're paying to say you have THE item. And for those of us who generally like the style of something but do not give a single F about brands, prestige, or status, we're not willing to pay that. I'll never apologize for that. And another thing lol some of us are not chronically online. We may not even KNOW that these things are trendy or based on what some trendy brand thinks is their original idea. We just buy what we like when we see and can afford it. Why do we let expensive brands own credit for generic concepts that have been created, recreated, and revised for decades?
23.14 that's what i do ( as a brokecollege student) I get a 70 dollars bunch of fast fashion sweaters and wear them for five year and guess what I still wear the same shein sweater from 2019
I remember, once you posted this question, "Should I buy a pair of Frye boots?" I said, you HAVE to try them on first because I have known so many people that bought some and found them insanely painful. So now I just have to say that I told ya' so.
The thing about the Frye boots being hard to take off is totally normal. I have a vintage pair, and I absolutely despise them because they hurt to take off. I got them for my grandmother and I can't wear them anymore. They also give me back problems because they're so dang heavy. So don't feel bad.
I have a pair of brown harness boots and I have narrow feet. Yes, they're hard to take off and even to put on, and feel tight for about 15 minutes, but then they're pretty comfortable. I put up with it because I really like them, have had them for about 15 years now. It's a weird thing.
Social media allows the people who can afford those boots to show them off and glorify their fashion. Of COURSE they're going to influence people to want to have the same look. It's just a never-ending cycle. Influencing culture has lead to overconsumption and fast fashion. So sorry, if you're going to have a job in influencing, you're contributing to it.
I got a pair of Frye campus boots in the banana color about five years ago at an estate sale for a dollar! I still can’t get over them! Wishing you all the same luck!!❤Unfortunately, I have not taken the best care of them and wear them for everything! In the mud and the rain, etc. but I loveeee them!
Frye boots show up at Winners (a version of TJ Maxx) all the time. I've bought a few pairs over the years (the last pair I had wasn't comfortable, so I probably wouldn't buy again. But maybe it was just the particular style I had that wasn't comfortable.
I can always tell I actually like something and it’s not because it’s trendy if I have the mind set of “oh I won’t buy it now cause it’s a bit pricey, and once the trend ends I’ll hopefully find it at a thrift store.” I’m still waiting out the TikTok Falling For You dress from Kali Rose Boutique to be no longer trending so someone will donate one and I can finally have one. Cause they’re SO cute but they’re like $30 and I don’t wanna order one through TikTok shop or their official site cause I don’t trust my card info with either. Sadly they lowered the price and paid for a lot more advertising recently so it’s trendy again. Sigh🙄
The thing about the boots being hard to take off, that is totally normal. I had a pair of vintage boots, and I absolutely hate them. They are the red t
If I want something and can’t afford it. I will buy a high quality dupe. It’s not anyone business or source of shame like that TikTok brat made it seem
Faux leather or "vegan leather" is one of the WORST things you can buy. That stuff is plastic and will start to peel and flake around the 5 year mark. The most environmentally friendly thing is to buy real leather secondhand. Leather lasts for 30-50 years. The virtue signaling for "vegan leather" is hilarious because it was marketed to make people think they're doing the "right thing" but it's actually the opposite. Same for electric vehicles- they are horrible for the environment!
@@RebeccaHunt-wv8bc and real leather is perfect? Look up mic the vegans vegan leather video. Plastic leather is bad but animal-based leather is still horrible for the environment, bad for animals, and isn't as biodegradable as a lot of fashion influencer shave you believe, and it can even be worse than environment if we look at emissions. I'm not mad at you BTW, I understand your POV because fashion influencers that try to put themselves as experts never talk about the reality of animal-based leather. BTW, I don't like plastic leather and avoid it, just don't shame people for buying it when real leather is horrible.
@@XOXO-love222 But that isn't all true and sounds like someone's opinion. How is buying secondhand leather "bad for animals" when the animal died 20+ years ago and your money isn't going to a business that sells leather? No one said leather is perfect, obviously an animal had to die for it to be made but how many chemicals from faux leather pollute the rivers near the factories that make it? How often do we toss pvc vinyl that is peeling from say, a purse from Target? I've had to toss so many shoes and bags because of that (they CANNOT be donated in that state, they'll toss them too), but I still have all of my thrifted leather bags, belts, shoes, and coats that I can resell or donate one day if I want.
interesting video - personally i shy away from dupes if i can help it, mostly due to family purchasing habits growing up, differences in quality, sustainability, and now as an adult, trying to reduce my own consumption. we all know that buying designer or getting something because it's expensive is not the same as being sustainable or ethical, but there is a point where i think consumers should be thinking more critically and doing research about whether they should go for the dupe versus the 'real'. For example, sometimes a $500+ price point on a pair of boots reflects that the leather (sole and uppers) is real, that the quality of the leather is made to last (including the ability to be resoled by a cobbler), and that the boot was made ethically in the US, and that the workers who made the boot are paid a living wage. A dupe may not have the same provenance, may be made of plastic or cheap rubber with flimsy stitching that you will throw away after 2 seasons. BUT, a dupe could also be better than 'real' when it comes to their business practices or quality. Again, research is key. I also noticed in a lot of dupe tiktoks I've seen, people will buy dupes because they are cheaper than the 'real'. If someone could afford to buy a dupe now or they could save up for an extra few months (or even a year) and be able to afford the 'real,' I would always recommend waiting. Waiting can be helpful in recognizing if you just like the trend or you actually like the product, having a longer term goal definitely has made *me* treasure and take care of my possessions more, and it also helps overconsumption and slowing unsustainable buying habits due to the rise of fast fashion.
I agree but also shoes have never in a million years been that expensive and if you just want one cute pair of boots (not every single popular one like I don’t have anything close to Frye nor do I care), but like I think getting a dupe second hand or from a lower priced store isn’t the consumer’s fault if they’re just doing what they can afford. I think it’s privileged to blame the consumer all the time when the person pushing these products is more to blame and the egregious prices. Also a lot of people like myself don’t buy things all the time so don’t even realize when something is a dupe much of the time. If people are buying SHEIN then throwing it away that is super wrong though.
When something is too trendy , that makes me NOT want it. You will just look like a sheep in a herd, nothing to distinguish you from everyone else. But also, I never look at tiktok or instagram or pinterest, so thankfully I am mostly oblivious to whatever is 'declared' as trendy. Often it seems like something is trendy on social media, but then in real life you NEVER see people wearing it. Do people just pose for photos in the thing and never wear it out and about?
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 intro
01:32 backstory of who FRYE is
04:26 my experience with FRYE boots
06:28 the reselling market of FRYE boots + FRYE boot dupes
09:21 the start of the tiktok target frye boot dupe drama
17:06 the FRYE boot dupe criticism BACKLASH
23:49 does the target frye boot dupe EVEN EXIST??
26:50 my thoughts of tiktok dupe culture
OMG they are not dupes! Frye boots did not create a new styles of boot, the styles are classic and have been around since forever. This debate is redundant.
I have no sympathy for people, who paid an obscene amount of money for an item, complaining that the item they bought is going to become 'outdated' or 'oversaturated' because it is becoming too accessable and too trendy. Your boots will still be there after the trend is over, or were you only wearing them to look cool?
THIS THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL! I hate when people only care because they are afraid they won’t be “unique” anymore for being one of the only ones having or saving enough money to buy something expensive/quality that “normies” can’t afford. As long you try to be ethical that is what matters to me. Not all ethical things have to be hundreds of dollars. And a lot of shoes look similar honestly. Nothing is that original now days. There are things that are copies and others that are inspirations of other time eras.
Also, some people want to buy things that are not leather so that they’re not using animal products.
Also I try to thrift shoes but the shoes at my thrift are usually disgusting/falling apart and online thrifts the fit never has worked but I keep trying to thrift only everything but shoes is hard
I gotta be honest, I agree with the tiktoker that spoke on the entitlement of consumers. Regardless of the existence of the 'Target dupe' in the way it was portrayed, her point still stands. People feel entitled to something that isn't a necessity. Do I wish I could afford $400 boots? Of course. But I can't so I can either save up or just enjoy looking at photos and live vicariously through others until the trend dies off as it inevitably will and I can snap them up for cheap in 3 years.
Also, the tiktoker who left a comment saying that "dupes are good because who knows if you'll like the boots in five years" is the perfect reason why dupes are bad! Either you like the boot so much you'll die without it and so then it makes sense to save up for it OR you don't like the boot that much and therefore don't need a worse, less sustainable version of it. You can't have it both ways. If you already know you don't like something enough to care about it in five years, don't buy it!!
Funnily enough, I think the tiktoker who was breaking down how many hours it would take to afford the boots was so close to the point and still missed it: someone (most likely a woman from our available data on garment workers), who is GUARANTEED to be getting paid less than the US minimum wage (based on well-known fast fashion exploitation of workers), would have to work double or triple or more than that to buy those boots (or, more likely, put food on the table, pay rent, etc). Why is it that the exploited worker who made those dupe boots matters less than your desire (manufactured by social media) to own (only something that *looks* like the real) boots?
Its so weird to me to show how much those boots cost v the US minimum wage and for the conclusion to be "I should buy a knock-off to keep up with trends and contribute to the overconsumption that will kill this planet" instead of "wow, I - and every other worker - should be paid more".
Sorry for the essay lol. Thanks for the video. I've sworn off tiktok so it feels like I'm keeping my finger on the pulse by watching these kinds of vids lol
This is good shit. 100%
totally agree and it also kinda sucks how the idea of accessibility comes into it and gets distorted. like, it's an important thing! but consideration for including people, including low-income people, in things that often exclude them doesn't mean it's unethical to charge prices everyone can't afford. one, because no price is affordable for everyone and two, because as long as we live in capitalism, someone needs to get paid, and a lot of someones in the supply chain. We need to have clothing and housing and transportation and recreation and food and education etc etc that are accessible to low-income people, and that's super important. but that is a completely different thing from saying everything should be cheap so that people can just buy whatever they feel like buying and not think about the consequences.
you phrased it much better than me!! exactly! the answer isn't to buy dupes, it's for us to be valued and paid more!
"Who knows if you'll like the boots in 5 years?" Well, you can be like the rest of us and just donate, sell, or give the boots to family/friends when we no longer want them. Or you can just not buy clothes that you won't like in only five years. I'm in college and still have clothes from middle school because I bought stuff I genuinely liked, not just because it was a trend. Even for trendy stuff that is now outdated, I still wear it because I genuinely like it and not because some random influencer wore it. Like, I don't know anyone IRL who hasn't had clothing for more than five years. The only reason I can see this happening is if you lose/gain weight or get pregnant. This is all TikTok brainrot fr.
@@XOXO-love222 buying something bc if you don't like it you can just sell or donate it isn't necessarily a good mindset either though! charities and thrift stores are filled to the brim with cheap products and a good portion of them are dumped in landfills... (i do agree with you, it's just about that point)
It's such a bargain to watch this discussion without paying thousands of dollars for a university class
A college dupe? 😱
😂😂😂😂
Lecture dupe!
As a working class girlie seeing people use my existence as a justification for duping culture pisses me off. I am not entitled to disposable clothing made by slave labor and neither is anyone else
You do know that name brands use child labor too right. Name brands pay their employees Pennies in 3rd world countries. They’re no better than Shein. Look it up.
Then don’t wear any clothes bc all brands use unethical slave migrant labor.. do some research
cough cough thrift shop cough cough EBay
@@sashamoore9691 that’s absolutely untrue. You just don’t want to pay anyone a living or minimum wage. You could do your research and find plenty of brands right here in America that are very transparent about their working facilities and how much they pay their workers . But ya , $300 for a hoodie I guess isn’t ok , you can just use deflection to put out an absolute lie that all things are an ethical. Therefore, you don’t ever have to make a conscious effort to be ethical. That’s fucking sad.
@@baby.nay. There's people who truly can't afford to "pay people minimum wage", and don't find their sizes thrifting, or are not able bodied/don't have time to thrift. This discourse is absolutely elitarist and refuses to take into account the many people who simply can't afford to spend 1/3 of their monthly wage on a 200 $ boot, let alone a 500 $ boot that isn't even made in the USA, so we have to trust the brand to know it's ethically made.
To say “you don’t deserve to buy boots for $250 because it makes my $400 boots less ‘timeless’” is actually crazy
I had lost that part at the first watch and yes, it sounds so weird 🤣 people want to be so woke (in the sense of awake) but then they sleep for real on a whole other host of reasons for why people would go for the less costly but still well made boot.
Think she deleted that vid. Can’t see it on her Tt.
Technically that’s not what the op was saying. Your comment is an example of a star man fallacy. Which I knw you didn’t do on purpose but it’s important to recognize one when you see it.
Exactly! People are filming themselves saying the wildest shit and just put it online, it's crazy! You don't just admit that you have frye boots and then go onto say "not everyone should have them though:/". It's like "not everyone has to have frye boots! except for me because I'm special and not a peasant like you :)
I feel like the people most angry about dupes are the ones who can afford the originals and are mad their high end boots might be seen as cheaper, or something everyone else has, or something poor people are wearing. They don’t wanna be seen wearing the same shoes as people wearing Shein.
And you can argue with me and say this isn’t fact, but I had my own moment of annoyance when I found a cute vintage shirt at the thrift, and then immediately see an ad for an exact replica Temu version of it somehow. Like this was a random shirt I found from like 2001 and thought it was super unique. Then I got annoyed realizing I won’t be the only one wearing it now that it’s being sold for less on Temu. And it makes mine look cheap now. Maybe not the same exactly, because I AM broke, so I’m not worried about what broke people need to do to stay in fashion (if that’s what they want.)
But the point still stands, people definitely have this subconsciously going on in their mind because of the innate need to buy something that makes them feel more important and unique. There’s a reason designer costs so much. It’s so not everyone is able to wear it. Companies curate their own customer base by making things affordable or completely unaffordable.
ETA: if you think everyone buying dupes is just buying them for the moment, you’re wrong. I own a lot of cheaper shoes that I’ve had for years and years. I wear them until they fall apart (none have so far,) and it’s an unfair assumption that these are all just momentary purchases. Chances are, if it’s a micro-trend, even the $400 boots won’t get worn by someone in 5 years either lmao.
The boots aren’t even cute enough to be doing any of this in the first place 🙄
i think it might have been phrased the wrong way, but ultimately the takeaway should be: fashion, especially good quality and sustainable fashion, isn't very accessible to the average person, but also.... the average person doesn't realize that a good garment is going to be fairly expensive because it isn't mass-produced, and is made with care and expertise, from the fabric to the sewing etc etc. fast fashion/capitalism completely ruined people's perception. a great, well-made shirt isn't supposed to cost $5.
so the real big issue, which is that it is inaccessible not necessarily because the price is unreasonable, but because people are undervalued and underpaid, gets hidden inside a smaller russian doll and people focus on the wrong thing and we just end up with shitty temporary fixes. the real problem is much, much bigger. the solution isn't to make dupes so a cheap version, made with cheap fabrics in terrible conditions, hits the market and makes it accessible to everyone, it's to dismantle our current system so good quality clothing is accessible to all. (and also to consume less and more thoughtfully). i do think there's an argument to be made about pricing, and how clothing not being super inexpensive forces people to stop, question whether or not it will be a good lasting investment, and consume more intentionally.
secondhand fashion slowly evolving into fast fashion, and thrift/charity stores being filled with poor-quality products and dupes IS a problem. screaming about classism and elitism is valid, but those shitty dupes that don't last aren't destroyed or recycled, they're just dumped in poor countries, which are left to deal with landfills of fashion waste.
so we're clear : an item being expensive does not mean it's sustainable or ethically made, price does not guarantee quality. something being expensive =/= good quality.
HOWEVER the production of good quality products should not and cannot be cheap, because of the skills, labour and materials. the people making your clothes also deserve a living wage, and better conditions means more investment. those skills are also valuable and should been seen as such.
these are two different points.
I agree but $450 for boots? Still a lot of money. That's just brand name markup. You can find locally sourced quality leather boots for like $50-100 which is more sustainable for the average person if you consider you'll have the shoes for 15+ years with proper care
@@nitzeart Quality leather boots will never be under $100, hopefully you arent being serious. $450 is actually a good price for a long term, quality boot. Thursday boot Co makes solid boots for around $200, that is the lowest you should ever go. Anything lower is probably bonded leather (leather shreds glued together) or faux leather. Both of these look good on the shelf but age horribly. You get what you pay for with leather goods.
@@austah2150 I have good quality boots for that price. Real leather. They're locally done that's why they're cheaper. And it's actual leather because I live somewhere where a lot fo these "high quality" shoes from international brands are manufactured. I have had one pair of them resoled and even the cobbler said they were good quality and had a lot of life on them. I think they're almost 10 years aold now. Also $100 isn't cheap for someone not from the US, btw. Anything above 200 for me it's too much for boots. Dr Martens boots just over that price too, so...
@@nitzeart Ok fair, I didn't realize you lived outside the US. If the cost of living is low where you live it would make sense why a locally done pair would be a cheaper price. I live in the US so I was thinking about options available to an average US consumer. Also I personally wouldnt consider Dr Marten's quality boots, mostly because they cant be easily resoled.
@austah2150 Yeah, the overconsumption and quality vs price and anything fashion is always very US centric but we're used to it 😅 I actually don't know if Dr Martens are quality or not, they're not worth the price tag for me personally because I don't love the style, but I've seen people talk about them like they're good quality (or at least they used to be very good?) So idk.
Seeing thrifted items become trendy to the point where the people who found their item on the floor somewhere criticize the people who buy similar items with comparable quality for making their thrift find feel cheap gives me major paralel dimention vibes 😂
I'm honestly tired of seeing rich influencers telling people that their choices are harming the environment and that they're not "entitled" to own a pair of frye boots because many sustainable clothing brands are extremely expensive and not accessible to most people. I think theae influencers are entitled for thinking they can talk down to people and accuse them of making their clothing "tacky" because poor people are able to wear the same style.
Also before someone screams at me for saying "but poor people can thrift!" Rich people have made the second hand market expensive
These points r very valid. It’s elitist
@Bellabirdtheoneandonly and managing to get "cool" finds like designer pieces is something that is very much impossible outside of the internet if you don't live in a large city. Like, I live in a deprived area with a largely older population. I'm lucky if I find *shein* at the second hand shop instead of fast fashion granny brands. I definitely am not finding anything close to Frye boots.
This video made me realize not everyone lives in the real world. Dupes are no where near as important as rent prices going up while minimum wage stays the same. People focus on the wrong things these days. Must be nice doom scrolling on tiktok all day and not working in the corporate world to make ends meet.
Fr though
I’m like what’s a fry? 😂
it's a fashion channel and if you're in iltge industry the dupe vs "original" designs, prices and fast fashion are the forever issues that smb has to address 😢
Fast food wages has increased a bit to 20 dollars but the higher ups made big iPads to order food than higher people to do the cashier work
If you are working in the corporate world, you are already substantially better off than most of the world lol you sound like an idiot
The reasoning behind people being mad about the “dupe” is absolutely exclusivity. Imagine paying $130 on a dress and then within two weeks it becomes the symbol of overconsumption and tackiness! Can’t have that happening to thier $400 boots 😅. Dupes of designer items are a natural part of the fashion cycle (of course not unethical stolen designs from small businesses). It was expected that most people wouldn’t be able to buy a real Birkin so they would get something that mostly looked the same. People who pay for designer pay for the status as much if not more than the actual craftsmanship of the item. Designers lead the way and the rest of us follow. The issue becomes when the trend cycle is months or even weeks instead of years, and that’s where encouraging mindful consumption comes in. I’m all for speaking truth to power and holding brands accountable, but ultimately it doesn’t matter if your boots cost $400 or $250 as long as you like them, will use them for a reasonable amount of time, and they aren’t totally cheap plastic crap you bought for a photo shoot.
I love the way you discuss topics. It validates all sides and is very balanced. I am coming from a poor girl perspective and I gotta say those tiktoks just sound like spoiled rich kids complaining that their super cool elite item is going to look “trashy” because the poor kids are wearing it now…… but maybe I’m just defensive 😂🤷♀️
Also I agree that people aren’t entitled to an item just because they want it but the argument of “save up for it” is very out of touch. A lot of us are living pay check to pay check and can only afford one very cheap item every 6 months or so. I can’t speak for every poor person but for myself I would not consider myself an over consumer because I physically cannot over consume. If fast fashion brands didn’t make trendy clothes for cheap I would not be able to buy cute clothes. Not only can I not afford expensive brands but I am also plus size so they don’t even cater to me.
Also target might as well be name brand items because I can’t even afford them. 🤷♀️ that’s a poor girl’s perspective.
100000% that’s exactly how I feel
So this is why I go to thrift stores and shop on Mercari and ebay as someone on Social Security living on the poverty line and I am plus size as well so I am kind of confused where a lot of plus size people come from this “I can’t find my clothing in size anywhere” when I have curated an amazing wardrobe for myself granted it’s taken time because it’s mostly done at thrift or flea markets (and i have no car thankfully 2 thrifts in walking distance) but at least I’m not spending money on slave labored cheap trendy clothing that’s not gonna hold up in the wash overtime because I’m poor enough where I can’t afford to keep replacing my cheap shein or Temu clothing every year. Ive never actually used shein because ive done way too much research on that company. I feel like people like to use certain things as an excuse to justify what they are doing because at the end of the day thrift store clothing is People‘s old clothing therefore it’s not a new outfit being put into the world by slave labour
@@KristenZianourry2015 that is amazing that you have been able to shop on these areas! That is amazing! I do mostly buy my things from a thrift store but there are somethings I have trouble with like belts, shoes, and pants. My local thrift stores are not overflowing with plus sized clothes so it definitely is a challenge but it is my main source. Sadly when I am able to thrift my size it is usually still fast fashion brands because good quality plus size clothes just don't find their way to my local thrift stores. My friends know I will get down in the search for some thrifted clothes. I don't buy off of online thrift portals because it is very likely that items won't look right on me and they don't have the return options. Mercari is actually still too expensive generally for me but there is some cool stuff on there. Again it is awesome that you do that! It is definitely the goal.
Nowadays even luxury brands are copying each other’s viral products…..
this is so true!!!
I feel like with shoes there is more of a grey area with dupes in my opinion. Obviously there is the affordability factor but certain brands of shoes might accommodate the shape or arch of your foot better. Like certain brands just don’t work for certain peoples feet.
I also think while there are overall negative aspects of online dupe culture overall it’s less likely to hurt larger businesses than smaller businesses. There’s always going to be the appeal of buying the ‘real thing’ particularly for more pricey or cult brands. A company like Frye will probably be ok if there are similar boots out there. While smaller businesses who get ripped off feel the effects a lot more. There’s an artist I’ve followed for a while whose had some financial issues and one of her there is a ‘dupe’ of one of her purse on Amazon, which is taking sales away from her small business. So with dupe discourse I think some of it can be case by case. Thanks for the breakdown!
Was going to post almost the same thing. I don’t even consider Frye because they are so uncomfortable for my feet. They don’t fit my arches properly. I have bought other brands that are similar in style because they were comfortable for me. To me, only considering shoes, there are so many brands that look similar and people should buy what is comfortable and works for your feet. Clothing dupes are a different conversation for me.
This!
personally, i would rather buy a dupe of THESE SPECIFIC BOOTS than try and get them on the secondhand market when i would be paying MORE than retail price for them. i personally refuse to pay over retail for anything secondhand. i also don't know how these boots would fit me and would rather be able to have a safe and easy return process over trying to resell them myself. i can justify spending $50-$200 to try this style of boot for the first time to see how well it meshes with my personal style, and then investing in the real deal if i like them and get a lot of use out of them. when i got my first pair of sambas i got them secondhand for $40, wore them everyday until they wore out, and then bought a full price pair.
I think this whole situation is pretty interesting when you view it through the lens of conspicuous consumption (a theory by Veblen). Highly coveted items like these boots function as status symbols, and therefore not only reflect personal preferences but also serve as indicators of "taste". People use these items to showcase their economic, social or cultural capital, signaling a sense of prestige/status and belonging to a certain group (e.g. being seen as someone who is into fashion = high cultural capital). From this perspective, I think we can consider dupes or counterfeits to be an imitation of status, or even as critiques of capitalism. For some, this is offensive because it undermines a brand's authenticity, and good dupes weaken a status symbol's effectiveness and symbolic power. For others, dupes represent the democratisation of luxury goods, making them more accessible to larger groups. However, I think there's always a grey area when it comes to the legal and ethical considerations of dupes/counterfeits...
I think you make good points but also as dupes are more and more popular, it diminishes the power of the real thing as a status symbol, but also diminishes the power of the dupes as a democratization of the status symbol because people are less likely to assume they're real. most people who know enough to ID the status symbol are likely to know if the dupes are common. So there might be a thought to wonder if you're a person who wears real x item or who wears dupes, and what that says about you, but it's not a straightforward access to the status symbol for people with less money. it's an interesting distortion, at least as long as the dupes are good enough for people to wonder. if the dupes aren't actually convincing, they might label the wearer as someone who keeps up with the trends, but can't or doesn't choose to afford the real thing. (sometimes this might be wrong though, people could absolutely buy a dupe by accident without even realizing it's imitating something trendy)
i don't think we're at a point societally where a choice to wear a dupe communicates a critique of capitalism to others (except possibly if you know the person and have reason to conclude that's likely the intent) unless it's the kind of humorously bad knockoff that is ultimately showing off that it's a knockoff. (i have friends who collect those) that's not to say that there isn't undermining of the capitalist system in the choice to wear dupes, but it's rejecting one part of the system to buy into another part... unless you make your own dupes! i love kathleenillustrated's homemade and creative dupes and i do think those can def read as a critique of capitalism
@@ArtichokeHunter Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I agree that high status groups will probably recognise dupes, and identify them as outsiders. However, those who are not well-versed in identifying dupes might still perceive them to be genuine, and believe in the symbolic value that item represents. In that case, it’s less about being accepted by high status group and more about setting yourself apart from lower status groups.
About the critique of capitalism, I don't mean that people buying dupes are outright rejecting the capitalist system itself. I see it more as a rejection of exclusivity and gatekeeping within the luxury goods market. It's a subtle (and often unconscious) critique of how high staus groups attempt to differentiate and segregate themselves from low status groups through luxury consumption. I believe this to be especially true for those who openly admit that they buy dupes and have a blasé attitude towards the opinions of others, as this kind of behaviour directly undermines the symbolic power of luxury goods as status symbols.
Anyhow, Veblen's theory is focused on the structural side of consumption, which makes it pretty lacking concerning the agency of individuals. But it's an interesting perspective nonetheless! Thanks again for engaging with me, I enjoyed reading it
@@MaraAnnelisa that makes sense! I guess my point re: capitalist critique is just that while it may be undermining the luxury/status symbol side of things, it's buoying up the fast fashion side, so it's still buying into capitalism (a little less with thrifting or a small business maybe, but unless it's a hand me down, clothing swap, dumpster diving, or made yourself, it's gonna fall somewhere under capitalism. Just not the luxury bit. I'm far out from my reading on these things so just running on my thoughts
@@ArtichokeHunter Oh yeah, I'm on the same side! I don't think these perspectives have to be mutually exclusive though. Something or someone can critique capitalism while still reinforcing capitalist beliefs, which I'd say could (sometimes) be the case with dupes. Is it a hollow critique? Maybe. Honestly, I’d argue it’s probably not the most effective critique of capitalism anyway, haha. But it certainly prompts an interesting discussion!
I recently came across a tiktok talking about how Dupes are ruining creativity in design. That the high price tags of designer items forced smaller designers and artists to get creative and innovation with what they were putting out, maybe even taking inspiration from that designer item but giving it a new spin to make it something bold and new. If every brand just makes a copy of the designer item so everyone can have the "same" thing, there's no room for growth, no forward momentum in the culture and everyone becomes bored faster and moves on thus contributing to the waste cycle
I love this hair on you. It gives 70s rocker vibes :)
I second this cute hair!
jumpscare…my face lol👁️👄👁️ I think the current state of dupe and knock off culture are a part of the larger issue of overconsumption!! Whether someone thrifts or buys fast fashion, I hope they are being intentional with their purchases and plan on wearing and rewearing the item for years to come!
If we want the value/retail price of items to make more sense (instead of cheap slave labor and insane brand-recognition mark-ups) we have to be willing to take responsibility in our consumption. I very frequently thrift over buying new and there is a GULT of objects, in all sizes, available out there. The argument here is people are saying they "deserve" cheap dupes like they deserve a pair of shoes that fit. These are not the same argument; everyone deserves clothes to cover themselves and shoes that protect their feet, this is a universal truth / moral premise that's firmly taken hold since the last century. However, that is absolutely not the same argument made here; here people are saying they "deserve" to have "access" to a specific trendy style, that copies another person's design effort for a price that they deem personally to be "affordable" (affordability is always relative to the individual; there is no way to identify a "truly affordable" price point).
If you go back in time 50 years, 100 year or 200 years ago you will find clothing, even second-hand, was much more expensive then today. We are spoiled for choice; so the outrage has now narrowed down to "but I want that boot, not just any boot".
I don't mean to sound so harsh, but it's this attitude of "i deserve" that fuels the fast fashion industry. No one individual consumer is responsible for the ecological impact, or the human rights violations that are taking place, but to make change we have to first look in the mirror and ask; "Do I own enough objects to cloth myself?" if the answer is yes, then everything you buy from that point forward is out of desire. There is nothing wrong with desiring to express yourself through clothing, but it is not a reason for you to then demand we generate more pollution and poorer working environments for factory workers.
Exactly, everyone should have enough clothes and shoes, but we don't deserve every new trendy piece
@@tamara10 And, just to tack on to it a bit, if we start being more honest about our consumer habits; admitting that beyond necessity we often "want" and "desire", then that steers the discussion on how to build a better fashion eco system in a positive direction where progress can happen. The word "Deserve" creates misdirection; it centers the focus around a very inward-facing topic of "What do I deserve?" instead of the more outward perspective of saying; "I desire. How can I get what I desire in a more ethical way?". These are the kind of "mental traps" that limit progress in any situation, because there is an outward problem (over-consumption driving over-production) but by focusing on yourself and looking inward it de-rails and disconnects your mental energy from creating a solution that impacts the world around you.
Personal growth is important; understanding yourself is important; but it's a very important skill to be flexible and learn when to look in and when to look out; if we only look in then we are only helping ourself. If we only look out then we're never growing as an individual. The trick is to teach yourself when the context of the situation is better addressed with one perspective or the other.
Target does have a moto boot that I've seen in brown and black (and it doesn't actually look like the frye moto boot either but may be a dupe for a brand I'm not in the know of). I was so excited when I saw them, only to try them on and decide that I didn't like the way I look in them. so I do appreciate the accessibility of letting me de-influence myself
yeah I think art and expression need to be inclusive and not gate-kept, but fashion as a form of CONSUMPTION is not a right. I do think that elitism in fashion is a big problem, but I definitely think that was not the critic's concern, more about the speed of trend cycles and consuming cheap things because you want the look and not value the craft. I do agree that these boots are a weird target for this convo though, because of course the "dupe" is still two hundred dollars?? It's still not accessible or anything.
definitely think there is a conversation to be had about clothing and self expression being less inclusive with the popularity of thrifting causing rising prices, but attacking the boots is crazy.
agree with the part about fast fashion can be sustainable too though! I think if someone buys these boots and wears them for ten or twenty years then it matters less where they came from
I feel like most people buy dupes without even knowing theyre dupes. Not everyone is this into fashion. maybe its bc im not american but this vid is the first time ive even heard of this brand for example😂
I think that at its core, buying items like the Frye boots are just an example of conspicuous consumption. Sure there are a percentage of people buying the boots bc they find them actually comfortable/fitting with their personal style etc etc, but a MAJORITY of the people buying the boots are buying them because other people have them. They want to be a part of the trend, and therein lies the issue. The issue isn't with individual consumers and what they decide to buy or not buy, but the societal mentality of "trends" and how it pushes people to buy items that they actually don't like that much. Again, not the individual consumer's fault, and gods know that all of us have fallen victim to this at some point. But maybe it's time for people to actually sit down and consider why they want the boots so badly? Is it because you genuinely find it cute, comfortable, wearable? Or is it just because you saw [insert influencer here] wear it and you started coveting it? Not that there's anything wrong with wanting to be fashionable, but I'm honestly just so over trends going out of style at the speed of sound and creating mountains of waste in its wake.
That being said, people in those tiktoks and comments are really getting pissed off for the wrong reasons. Why are you criticizing a creator for making valid points by saying things like "wow okay rich", no one is holding you at gunpoint to go buy the real Frye boots? No one is making you buy or not buy anything, at the end of the day it's literally still your choice. Buy the dupe, don't buy the dupe, whatever. The BIGGER concern you should be having is whether you actually like the boots you're buying.
Also, people saying that dupes that are too close to the original and how it's taking away from the "specialness" of the real thing are the ACTUAL elitists lol. At this point of the Frye boot fame, you saying that is just snobbery and elitism. Just admit you want to be special and you don't want other people to have your special thing. At this point in Frye fame, it's no longer about the creativity or originality of the design, it's about, again, conspicuous consumption and showing off the fact that you have a thing that a lot of people can't get. (This is also why I /hate/ luxury brands with a burning passion)
Also this is making me realize that we are on VASTLY different sides of Tiktok wow 😅
lol us big calf girlies can’t even be bothered with this drama since we don’t even get boots that fit us
I gotta be honest I feel like I cannot empathize with people who feel like "cute trendy clothes" is a human right... like... I can't afford $200 boots either but I don't feel entitled to an "affordable" pair made with child labor and contributing to the climate crisis lol. Most people can't afford it! It's fine! No one will die or have their quality of life legitimately altered by not having a cute pair of boots.
Like why are we worried about the affordability of trendy boots!! Girl the housing crisis!!!! Their concerns with accessibility and affordability begin and end at their American centric consumerist ideals. God forbid someone brings up the human rights of the people who make their garments, and the people who have to deal with the aftermath of discarded textile waste in the Global South... who will incidentally will be the first most effected by the disastrous consequences of climate change. But noooooo I NEED a pair of plastic trendy boots or I will LITERALLY DIEEEE
One thing I find very odd is people arguing that no one should spend that much "for a pair of boots". That it's Too Much, specifically for a pair of boots. And the implication that someone shouldn't save up over a long period of time for them. But... why? We spend plenty of money on discretionary purchases when we can, sometimes saving up for them, especially if they're electronics. Why don't we value boots as a big purchase that could serve us for years to come?
That isn't to say that I think that we shouldn't be more capable of affording a 500 dollar boot. We're overworked and underpaid. We shouldn't have to save for months for that one purchase. But something made of high-quality materials, well-constructed, and produced ethically, WILL be a lot of money. There is simply no way around this.
Yeah, that is a weird argument because isn't one of the most common theories of where to spend your money... "shoes and a mattress because if you're not in one you're in the other"?
Maybe it's just where I'm from or how I was raised, but at my high school/university, you didn't want people thinking you were wearing a dupe. Like you either had the real thing or didn't say it was a dupe. I was in neither camp as I was aggressively unfashionable lol. It's just wild to me how popular and advertised dupes are nowadays.
It's so wild to me to see this brand in the middle of controversy, since I went on a hunt last year for real leather lace up boots and really only found two that weren't thousands of dollars, and Vintage Foundry was one of them. I invested in a pair and have been super happy with the quality - they are definitely not fast fashion pieces. They are still an investment and still made by a legitimate shoe brand with good materials! Nobody should be throwing these boots away in a month 😂
If you're ever looking for another brand to check out, Thursday Boots are incredible and worth every penny. They never run sales and are the same price year round bc they run low margins in general.
Same, I have a pair of riding boots from them that I got over ten years ago in high school and combat boots I bought in 2021! Frye has always just been a good shoe company to me, never trendy
Fryes were such a disappointment for me. The soles of my boots just peeled off, like straight up. I got them fixed because I paid quite a bit of money for them and they're boots that wear their 'wear and tear' well visually, but man... In the meanwhile I have a 40 euro pair of boots I got from a sketchy shoestore like 10 years ago and despite looking clearly worn, they still hold their shape, are comfortable, and have not needed a cobbler even once. Shows me that just because it's expensive, doesn't mean it's not complete ass.
I think my issue is some of these brands are up charging by a thousand % what the value of a product is and it’ll still be produced unsustainably or unethically because if it wasn’t they’d ANNOUCNCE it and we’d know. And many times the quality and materials will be close to the target or cheaper thing anyways. So i don’t condone stealing ideas but I also think you don’t want “the poors” as your customer base and that’s fine byeeee. This of course doesn’t apply to a company like Frye that’s been making well made products and has owned this style for decades. And makes a long lasting quality product worth the price. But lately even those brands are compromising quality for the bottom line 🤷🏽♀️
i’m crying i thought this was just gonna be niche fashion tiktok discourse when i made me video so it’s so funny to see you posted this on the exact same day!
I’m over 40 and I have my mother’s Frye boots from the mid 70s. They’re western style and beautiful. High quality boots can last a LONG time.
Sorry, but the absolute irony of tick tock being used to complain about consumerism is not lost on me.
I saw this same scenario play out with the tj maxx dupe of the rowe bag. A girl made a video saying she went and checked it out and that she didnt think the quality was on par. Then proceeded to say you should just save for the bag and she doesnt even know if she wants it anymore because the dupes are popular. I looked up the rowe bag and was shocked to find out it was $5000 and such a basic bag. Saying its tacky now etc makes me think they want to own the expensive items for the wrong reasons and it gives "you cant sit with us"
What's crazy is I literally thrifted a pair of target mossimo harness boots from the early 2000s and they are still made in China but the quality is insane. They look just like frye boots and are made from real leather
I guess I'll finally found out if I really like the fry campus boot or if I'm just being influenced, once they start becoming uncool.
Also it's very timely that this video came out now, since I am trying to find good leather boots second hand, but it is so hard to find any good pair that fits my wide calves. It's hard even buying new, at least in the EU. I can only find cheap faux leather or super expensive wide calf boots and none of them are in the styles I like. It's so crazy how all boots shafts don't come in different sizes.
These boots won't ever become uncool, they've been a classic for decades for a reason, despite the TT crowd. I don't know what your budget is but as you said you're in the EU, Penelope Chilvers does wider calf fits and her boots are most definitely of great quality. I'm not affiliated with Penelope Chilvers, just a happy customer of many years.
In line at a coffee shop, but I’m still gonna watch right now😂
💘💘💘💘
"Do I want to own this item badly enough for someone in the production chain to be exploited or the planet to be harmed?" That is the question I try to ask myself with every purchase that is non-sustainable and not necessary. And yes, sometimes I ignore the answer to that question. But we can all at least try.
Unfortunately most companies, even the ones that are expensive, produce in countries like China and possibly exploit their workers. She said that Frye also outsourced and produces there now. Why would I assume their 500$ boots are any more sustainable than other brands? Bc of the price? That would be naive
The way taller boots like the Frye campus don’t ever fit my calves so I can’t participate in the trend even if I wanted to
What’s ironic is I just found a pair of Frye boots at my Winners ( 🇨🇦 version of TJ Max) for $80 and bought them for fall/winter. Also found some Free People boots there too 😂
when this controversy was unfolding on tiktok i was like omg alexa sunshine 83 will be making a video about this!!!
I'm happy I took a screenshot of everything when I did because so much is deleted now!!
@alexasunshine83 so smart omg this blew up on my fyp🤦♀️and tbh...those banana boots are just another microtrend the girlies are going to forget about in 2.5 weeks😭
Ok but Frye had a campus boot back in 1800 something then stopped making them. Then in the 1960s The redesigned them, changed the toe and added the square chunky heel and rereleased them. You know in the 60s and 70s when that was already the most popular style of boot. They changed that boot to fit with the style that people were already wearing.
For dupes in general I don't purchase them because I know the quality isn't as good. But I guess if I somehow found a dupe for an item I wanted that had the same quality but for a lower price I'd buy it?? But I'd argue that a product that offers that is truly better and not a fast fashion trend chasing knock off. Another sort of interesting thing is that these specific boots I don't really consider to be universal, or classic, or everybody's style. Like yes they're pretty neutral but if I was going to spend that much on ONE pair of boots it would probably be like a cooler brown or black. Idk I feel like ppl low key just need to resist the influence of trends on specific items so they're not tempted to buy them or their dupes 🤷🏻
This was by far my fav video u have created! You’re an excellent writer, btw.
I'd literally never heard of Frye boots til this video. Lol.
Trends just help me look for quality brands secondhand. Frye boots are gorgeous and the less trendy designs are still affordable secondhand. There are other great boot brands people can dive into (old Harley Davidson, El Dante, Freebird, Ariat, Old Gringo)
Unfortunately, modern consumers (in general) are fickle & less concerned over quality, thus less inclined to research & *save* for certain products. The overall problem, as pointed out by most comments, is overconsumption (applicable to any market from books to especially fashion). The classist take in defense of dupes is easily debatable with the simple reason that fashion is not a necessity but a luxury.
I grew up as a new-pair-of-walmart-sneakers-every-year kid, they'd wear out quick but that's what we could afford. At 16 I bought my first own pair of shoes, $50 knee high lace up black combat boots. I loved those things and wore them into my 20s. At 23 I bought a discounted steve madden pair of short combat boots, and wore them daily until they started falling apart after only a year. It was only then I realized maybe I needed to just save and spring for a pair of leather Docs since I knew I loved the style so much. Been wearing my doc Jadons for 4 years now, and last year sprung for a second pair in the fur lined version for a winter boot. I'm not like a "shoe girlie" so maybe my perspective isn't broad enough, but I do really resonate with the creator (Caroline, was it?) who talked about entitlement around consumerism, especially in the age of such overflowing thrift stores and online second hand reselling.
on another note, I'd love to hear you talk about the fast-fashionification of high-end and designer brands, now many have been ripping off pieces from small designers!
I think one of my problems with fry is they don't have many extended sizes or calf sizes so even though they are timeless they are still exclusionary.
like it's honestly kinda irritating and saddening to see people *only* focus on the "is the original creator gonna be ok" or "it's a big brand so they're gonna be find regardless" rather than 1/ the ecological impact (which is an absolute disaster) 2/ how much you're contributing to making poorer countries (especially in the south of Africa) even more miserable, 3/ the exploited, piss poor workers who make those dupes. the bigger picture is much more harrowing.
I find this funny because until the last few years I’d never heard of Frye boots. I graduated from HS in the mid 90s during the grunge era and remember Harley Davidson Moto Harness boots being the IT boot back then. I don’t understand this controversy it’s a boot style that’s been around for ages. Its sort of like cowboy boot, ballet flats or loafers each manufacturer has their own interpretation.
the elitist argument really gets me because it’s like “well, someone else in another country is suffering to produce cheap clothes for me, and you are a classist elitist for pointing that out to me”, despite the existence of fast fashion actually being a bit classist and elitist?
How is fast fashion classist and elitist? Not defending it I just don’t see the connection.
@@whithehearthro It's elitist in my opinion because it's literally taking advantage of people that get paid wayyy less than what is a living wage for middle class people to buy those products! The mega conglomerates act classists towards their employees by taking a huge part of the cost and making them starve... I hope ithat makes sense.
@@whithehearthro fast fashion ignores the needs of those who are in a lower class situation ( garment workers ) and actively worsens their communities and their wages in order to further the consumers own gain and to obtain cheap goods for them. I think often we forget that to most of the world, we are the rich and we have power over their economic situations.
@@ButtersTweekLuka thanks 👍🏻
@@margaretcathcart2953 thanks makes sense 🙌
it's interesting because i think dupe culture started in makeup which makes sense because typically makeup shades are not *that* revolutionary and if you can find a similar shade at a lower cost, especially when designer brands are expensive because of the custom packaging, dupes made sense. but then dupe culture transferred to fashion where now it's about stealing from artists and small businesses which is not cool. i think it's a complicated conversation because there's talk about classism, environmentalism, influencers, capitalism, there's just so much to consider. ultimately i think the best route is to thrift or make your own iterations of things you find inspirational and focus less on wanting the exact or carbon copy of the next new thing.
I’m stunned, I’ve had a pair of Frye boots for over a decade and didn’t realize that they’re considered “cool” now!
I’m not up to date with fashion news, so this was such an interesting look into what’s going on.
Also glad you’re feeling better!
I thrifted fyre boots at a SF market for 50 bucks. And believe it or not my friend scored a pair FREE bc she saw them in someone’s like curbside trash just on the street. And they were her size
It is wild to me that even something that is produced in America doesn’t make it good quality or fair trade. It won’t be like that until we get a livable minimum wage.
I’m going to start this off with I respect the video and your ability to see all side of an issue, not many are capable of that and I don’t think you give yourself enough credit at how well you can put together a document type script. I’m honestly surprised you have been to journalism school!
I think it’s elitist af to tell people they aren’t allowed to buy “dupes” or things that look similar to “popular” clothing items. I understand sustainability but it’s ridiculous to put that solely on the consumer when we aren’t the one responsible for the climate issues in the first place. Not to mention most “sustainable, expensive” items are made just like the crap from target or Walmart. Not everyone wants to pay $500+ for boots that are going to hurt their feet or they don’t want to wear leather. Who knows, not anyone making snap judgments on tictok, that’s for sure.
Maybe I just have a different relationship with clothing than people that do this as a “job” (which in itself is elitist, not everyone has a job where they tear apart other people’s fashion choices” but I’ve always been a big on wearing whatever tf you want, whatever makes you feel comfortable and safe, because it’s no one else’s business.
At the end of the day it’s just clothes. If buying a weird color pair of boots from Amazon to try out the look makes someone happy. Then let them because throwing a fit about it is weird.
And if you don’t wear something you love because other people bought it then you probs didn’t love it that much and you’re just part of the perceived issue now.
Frye come in style very often. I used to sell them and the Harness, Campus, Billy, Melissa and Engineer have sold out in stores every season with no problem :)
Steve Madden really just knocks off every brand from Balenciaga to Versace, and sells those knock offs for a price that the average workers still cannot afford, at least in Europe.
Thank you so much for explaining this! I saw the videos about the drama also and was trying to search up the Target boot in question and was left so confused.
Ok, Im old but love fashion and especially girlies (and boys) who are different, unique, artsy, and creative. Why would you want the same boot as every other person? Stop getting caught up in the need to have what everyone else has and just be yourself. Now, heres the thing about what you buy...I worked in retail management for many years and guess what items have some of the biggest markups at the store...yes....shoes. Cosmetics and shoes have enormous profit margins no matter the brand. The Frye boots made in other countries could be sold for half the orice and Frye would still make bank. The US made cost a bit more because of higher labor but it depends where the factory is. They may be made where someone is only making the minimum wage which doesnt add another $200 worth to that boot. What are factory conditions here? Id be curious to know if the rmployees are getting good benefits to justify the cost of the goods. Find a seller on Etsy making handmade boots and buy from them. Support a small business and get something unique and beautiful. If you want the Frye boot and have the money then by all means, buy them. Yes, they will last but think about this, will you still want to wear them 5 years from now? If the answer is no then why invest in them? Find a style you like (please get real leather) and start your own trends, dont wear what 30 other people are wearing. I imagine a campus with every other girl wearing the exact boots and cut-off shorts lik "Children of the Corn" or "Stepford Wives'. Ugh.
as a person who isn't on social media TikTok ig Facebook etc... I dont see dupes come across me as often as most of you all scroll on social media everyday the only dupe ive bought all year is my free people duo corset cami dupe from amazon and they are amazing and I actually bought the free people one too on poshmark and they are both basically the same just freepeople has a slightly different shoulder sleeve and a deeper v but its still something I enjoy so much and I will wear forever and not all dupe culture is bad like anything else but it depends on us as a person and the product and I do agree that finding dupes for something that won't last 3 months is stupid if society was more intentional as a whole and see it being used for years on end its not as stupid but if were not intentional it isn't worth it
I think this whole thing is just the fast fashion conversation all over again. It's not an individual consumer issue. If you need some boots and you as an individual like the frye style, by all means buy whatever you want, be the dupe or not, as long as you take care of it and don't just toss it wihtin a year (esp if the vintage foundry is good quality and real leather). Because really $450 for boots it's a big brand markup. Good quality doesn't have to be expensive!
It's the overconsumption thing again. The wanting to have the latest trend at the expense of the planet and human rights of workers. It's the companies, it's amazon and shein for their horrible practices. As an individual, best you can do is be a mindful consumer, protest, hold the companies accountable, get hands on with climate action, etc.
Because yes that fashiom creator could sound a little gatekeepy, depening on how you take her intentions and tone. Also considering how high fashion is already eurocentric and "a rich people" game. This whole situation could have been avoided if that creator had taken two breaths, calmed down, saved the video in her drafts and then thought about a little more before posting. Poor girl is now in an online controversy 😅 It's a lesson on how NOT to post on social media.
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Good quality made ethically DOES have to be expensive, though, if not purchased secondhand. Obviously expensive does not indicate quality, and brand markups exist, but the cost of materials + well-compensated labour etc will always make these things "expensive".
so i unintentionally bought the target dupe for the harness boot and had no idea. Like i didn't know anything about frye i just bought the target boot bc they were cute and wide calf...so imagine my confusion when all this controversy started lol. I was like "we are fighting over a target boot?" this was good explanation of the backlash though.
Hey Alexa! Love your fashion content. I don’t have TikTok so you keep me in the loop. I would love more of this type of video. This one felt a bit unorganized, a bit between a video essay and pop culture news commentary. Look forward to how these videos will get even stronger over time!
I think there is a lot of gatekeeing and social status hording disguised as care for the climate and design ideas in the thrift culture.
I’ve liked dupes in the past bc I couldn’t afford items but tbh sometimes I would’ve preferred the original. I like stuff based on the style of it not how much it costs. It depends on what ur willing to pay for a thing and what it’s means to you. But also I’ve seen dupes like boots in stores my whole life. It’s not a new concept stores like target are doing this. But I agree that trend culture is ridiculous. I think if you genuinely want the shoes and it aligns with your style not just a trend and you can’t afford the expensive option it’s fine. But if you’re buying the newest trends every week or month you have an issue. I think ppl having to have the newest trend constantly isn’t sustainable. Also as an artist myself I agree that you should always buy from the artist or small business for their creation.
Loveeee this style of video, would def want to see more from you!
I really enjoyed the background music that was playing during the 15:30 timestamp!
Sometimes, when I’m watching a UA-cam video the background music is too loud or the music itself is so distracting that I can’t finish the video lollll
might just be too sensitive to that kind of stuff🤷♀️ but I think you have great taste in background music and understand its purpose!!💖
I think it becomes a problem when people who can afford more expensive, high-quality and original pieces, particularly influencers, decide to buy cheap dupes because they don't commit to long term pieces and prefer to prioritize trends at an affordable price. people with lower incomes deserve to have an option and I will never guilt trip them for choosing dupes or fast fashion, and even though they obviously contribute to that system (just like we all do because we can't escape it), they are NOT THE PROBLEM!!! the problem is big corporations and the accomplices are well-off people that choose fast fashion trends and lower quality over sustainability, originality and ethics.
Now that you mention it, the quality of shoemaking especially leather in Mexico is top notch. (Other leather goods are also very well made). Seriouly. Many of the best international shoe companies outsource their manufacturing here (it's probably also cheaper labor than other countries and then charge very high prices for the finished product but that's a whole different conversation). If you come to Mexico, buy some shoes 😅
Dr martens who? Frye who?? Best shoes I own are from mexican brands and shoemakers. Not to mention traditional huaraches.
For sure!! On FRYE’S official Amazon listing they have a section that says “MADE IN THE USA” which isn’t true for all their shoes so I just wanted to make that note!
@@alexasunshine83 Yeah, the "made in" is also a legal loophole because as long as the finishing touches of a garment/product is done in said country you can put made in whatever country you prefer 😅 Luxury brands are infamous for doing this.
It's another layer of transparency or lackthereof from brands that you need to consider as a consumer.
The best thred up find i ever found was my brown harness frye boots in INCREDIBLE like new condition for $70.
I've been wanting a pair of Frye boots since Effy Stonem (2009) lol.
I thought this was about the moto fyre boot because I do remember target having a dupe of them last winter. So I assumed they had brought the style back again
So much of the retail cost you pay for these trendy pieces or brands is pure profit for these companies. It's a prestige cost. You're paying to say you have THE item. And for those of us who generally like the style of something but do not give a single F about brands, prestige, or status, we're not willing to pay that. I'll never apologize for that.
And another thing lol some of us are not chronically online. We may not even KNOW that these things are trendy or based on what some trendy brand thinks is their original idea. We just buy what we like when we see and can afford it. Why do we let expensive brands own credit for generic concepts that have been created, recreated, and revised for decades?
23.14 that's what i do ( as a brokecollege student) I get a 70 dollars bunch of fast fashion sweaters and wear them for five year and guess what I still wear the same shein sweater from 2019
I remember, once you posted this question, "Should I buy a pair of Frye boots?" I said, you HAVE to try them on first because I have known so many people that bought some and found them insanely painful. So now I just have to say that I told ya' so.
The thing about the Frye boots being hard to take off is totally normal. I have a vintage pair, and I absolutely despise them because they hurt to take off. I got them for my grandmother and I can't wear them anymore. They also give me back problems because they're so dang heavy. So don't feel bad.
I have a pair of brown harness boots and I have narrow feet. Yes, they're hard to take off and even to put on, and feel tight for about 15 minutes, but then they're pretty comfortable. I put up with it because I really like them, have had them for about 15 years now. It's a weird thing.
Social media allows the people who can afford those boots to show them off and glorify their fashion. Of COURSE they're going to influence people to want to have the same look. It's just a never-ending cycle. Influencing culture has lead to overconsumption and fast fashion. So sorry, if you're going to have a job in influencing, you're contributing to it.
I got a pair of Frye campus boots in the banana color about five years ago at an estate sale for a dollar! I still can’t get over them! Wishing you all the same luck!!❤Unfortunately, I have not taken the best care of them and wear them for everything! In the mud and the rain, etc. but I loveeee them!
I'm sorry you were sick and so glad you're feeling better. I missed you.
Love this video Alexa! Would you mind linking this mic that you use?
Frye boots show up at Winners (a version of TJ Maxx) all the time. I've bought a few pairs over the years (the last pair I had wasn't comfortable, so I probably wouldn't buy again. But maybe it was just the particular style I had that wasn't comfortable.
Alexa you really are the best. Love the variety in your videos! ❤
I can always tell I actually like something and it’s not because it’s trendy if I have the mind set of “oh I won’t buy it now cause it’s a bit pricey, and once the trend ends I’ll hopefully find it at a thrift store.” I’m still waiting out the TikTok Falling For You dress from Kali Rose Boutique to be no longer trending so someone will donate one and I can finally have one. Cause they’re SO cute but they’re like $30 and I don’t wanna order one through TikTok shop or their official site cause I don’t trust my card info with either. Sadly they lowered the price and paid for a lot more advertising recently so it’s trendy again. Sigh🙄
I really really love your hair ❤
I just thrifted a pair of melissa wide calf button boots! I’m really excited for them even if they arent the “it” shoe rn
It’s videos like this which make me so glad I am not on TikTok and all the dramaaaa
The thing about the boots being hard to take off, that is totally normal. I had a pair of vintage boots, and I absolutely hate them. They are the red t
If I want something and can’t afford it. I will buy a high quality dupe. It’s not anyone business or source of shame like that TikTok brat made it seem
I don't have an issue with Faux leather. Any items I have made of this material holds up for a while and is easier to care for.
Maybe you would care more if you thought about what all that faux leather is doing to the environment. It's plastic.
Faux leather or "vegan leather" is one of the WORST things you can buy. That stuff is plastic and will start to peel and flake around the 5 year mark. The most environmentally friendly thing is to buy real leather secondhand. Leather lasts for 30-50 years. The virtue signaling for "vegan leather" is hilarious because it was marketed to make people think they're doing the "right thing" but it's actually the opposite. Same for electric vehicles- they are horrible for the environment!
@@RebeccaHunt-wv8bc and real leather is perfect? Look up mic the vegans vegan leather video. Plastic leather is bad but animal-based leather is still horrible for the environment, bad for animals, and isn't as biodegradable as a lot of fashion influencer shave you believe, and it can even be worse than environment if we look at emissions. I'm not mad at you BTW, I understand your POV because fashion influencers that try to put themselves as experts never talk about the reality of animal-based leather. BTW, I don't like plastic leather and avoid it, just don't shame people for buying it when real leather is horrible.
it won’t last forever and can’t be reconditioned
@@XOXO-love222 But that isn't all true and sounds like someone's opinion. How is buying secondhand leather "bad for animals" when the animal died 20+ years ago and your money isn't going to a business that sells leather? No one said leather is perfect, obviously an animal had to die for it to be made but how many chemicals from faux leather pollute the rivers near the factories that make it? How often do we toss pvc vinyl that is peeling from say, a purse from Target? I've had to toss so many shoes and bags because of that (they CANNOT be donated in that state, they'll toss them too), but I still have all of my thrifted leather bags, belts, shoes, and coats that I can resell or donate one day if I want.
The Fry moto boots vs. the Harley Daidson moto boots???? Personally, I don't like the banana colored boots. I like a darker colored boot.
The poors are ruining my aesthetic 😭😭😭
How dare those peasants
interesting video - personally i shy away from dupes if i can help it, mostly due to family purchasing habits growing up, differences in quality, sustainability, and now as an adult, trying to reduce my own consumption.
we all know that buying designer or getting something because it's expensive is not the same as being sustainable or ethical, but there is a point where i think consumers should be thinking more critically and doing research about whether they should go for the dupe versus the 'real'. For example, sometimes a $500+ price point on a pair of boots reflects that the leather (sole and uppers) is real, that the quality of the leather is made to last (including the ability to be resoled by a cobbler), and that the boot was made ethically in the US, and that the workers who made the boot are paid a living wage. A dupe may not have the same provenance, may be made of plastic or cheap rubber with flimsy stitching that you will throw away after 2 seasons. BUT, a dupe could also be better than 'real' when it comes to their business practices or quality. Again, research is key.
I also noticed in a lot of dupe tiktoks I've seen, people will buy dupes because they are cheaper than the 'real'. If someone could afford to buy a dupe now or they could save up for an extra few months (or even a year) and be able to afford the 'real,' I would always recommend waiting. Waiting can be helpful in recognizing if you just like the trend or you actually like the product, having a longer term goal definitely has made *me* treasure and take care of my possessions more, and it also helps overconsumption and slowing unsustainable buying habits due to the rise of fast fashion.
I agree but also shoes have never in a million years been that expensive and if you just want one cute pair of boots (not every single popular one like I don’t have anything close to Frye nor do I care), but like I think getting a dupe second hand or from a lower priced store isn’t the consumer’s fault if they’re just doing what they can afford. I think it’s privileged to blame the consumer all the time when the person pushing these products is more to blame and the egregious prices. Also a lot of people like myself don’t buy things all the time so don’t even realize when something is a dupe much of the time. If people are buying SHEIN then throwing it away that is super wrong though.
I love how you casually made a full video with extremely valid points about anitemthat might not even exist , great video
When something is too trendy , that makes me NOT want it. You will just look like a sheep in a herd, nothing to distinguish you from everyone else. But also, I never look at tiktok or instagram or pinterest, so thankfully I am mostly oblivious to whatever is 'declared' as trendy. Often it seems like something is trendy on social media, but then in real life you NEVER see people wearing it. Do people just pose for photos in the thing and never wear it out and about?