Gen Z has dismissed dreams of owning a Birkin bag and has picked up sneakers instead. As luxury struggles to woo a young generation of consumers who have not yet accumulated enough wealth to drop five figures on a handbag, the cohort of twentysomethings has instead become enamored with more affordable fitness activities.
“If you have the ability to get up before work or after work and train and have running shoes, and you can do that, I mean major props to you,” New York City influencer Chloe Hechter said in a recent TikTok about the city’s “status” symbols. “I feel like saying that you ran—or that you run, or that you’re going to run—the New York City Marathon is huge clout in New York.”
Gen Z, a generation finishing college and beginning to climb the career ladder, was hit with a COVID-era perfect storm of financial woes and push toward virtual communication that has led them to prioritize all things fitness, said Jessica Ramírez, cofounder and managing director of retail trend firm the Consumer Collective.
An era of jobless growth following post-pandemic hiring surges endangered Gen Z’s career aspirations of finding or getting promoted at a job, making it harder for them to accumulate wealth. The desire for a cheap hobby, paired with the desire to escape from a loneliness epidemic that was exacerbated during the pandemic, has created a burgeoning trend of finding community at a gym or run club, where dropping tons of cash is optional.
