Stealing from strangers? TikTokkers say, just do it.
Teens on a stealing spree are nabbing the zippers off of Nike Elite backpacks, accumulating dozens and reselling them for a pretty penny to victims of the new online trend.
One New York City teen gloated about his growing collection already totaling over a dozen zipper ties, which are specific to the model of Nike rucksack, warning others to not leave their bags around him.
Other clips on TikTok show the teenage troublemakers boasting about how many they can score in a single day at school — and how much they go for on the resale market.
Some thieves are championing the trend, saying it could “pay my bills” while charging a few bucks for a zipper to those victimized by the trend. Others, however, are marking up the ties for a whopping $40, according to commenters on TikTok.
One creator said others have “taken [it] way too far” in a TikTok post with footage of store shelves fully stocked with Nike Elite backpacks — all missing the fabric ties on the zippers.
The trend, which has been likened to “flag football,” has drawn criticism from both disappointed teens and angry parents whose kids have been robbed of their Nike zippers at school, calling the fad “messed up.”
Some schools have even been forced to issue an email warning about the trend, according to users on TikTok, while Nike Elite owners who “hate this trend” have resorted to carrying their backpacks front-facing rather than on their backs, double knot the ties so that they’re more difficult to steal or remove them altogether.
“My son got his stolen while at football practice and he’s bummed. Been trying to find them online. Never thought it’d be this hard,” one desperate parent wrote in a Reddit thread while inquiring about purchasing spare zippers, calling the fad “weird.”
“I made the school replace my bag,” another user responded.
“My son got hit up for them today,” one disgruntled parent chimed in, explaining that two zippers were stolen from her son’s bag.
“The kids were targeting him all day, he’s only 11 years old, not going to be able to bring that backpack to school anymore sadly.”
Source Agencies
