Strolling down State Street in Santa Barbara or popping into a frat house backyard, your eyes might be bombarded with chunky square heels, a plethora of silky brown shades of leather and the essential smooth, sculpted square toe of Frye Boots. 

Whether you consider yourself a fashion addict with a keen eye or an average shopper, you might have heard of these leather beauties: the staple ‘90s boot that has made its way into the minds and Pinterest boards of fashion guys and gals alike within the past year. 

According to Glamour Magazine, Frye saw a 35% increase in sales in 2024. Sported by celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo and Zendaya, the banana-toned leather boots climbed to TikTok and Instagram fame. The unknowing consequence of this captivation poses a question: What impacts can fashion have on our economy, personal style and the environment? 

Dupes

With such high demand, these boots have peeled back a layer of the fashion industry that has become a significant topic in recent years. Luxury brands, like Frye, often produce items that soar high above the average person’s price range. In response, brands such as Target, Steve Madden and Free People have created their own versions of the boots. 

The rise of these dupes has sparked complex conversations about class, sustainability and consumerism. On the one hand, dupes help create affordable alternatives to often unrealistically expensive items, allowing budget-conscious shoppers to access similar items. Dupes, however, can lead to an excess of fashion waste, as they are typically made with cheaper materials and are mass-produced. After running their course in the trend-cycle, most items end up in the trash.

Ryan Gertz, a junior computer science major and dedicated member of Sustainable Fashion Club, mentioned how aside from the excess waste that dupes contribute to the environment, they also steal the intellectual property of the designers. 

Less thought is typically put into whether a Frye boot dupe –– with its affordability and identical style soon to be delivered to one’s doorstep –– will become an item of permanence in one’s wardrobe or remain a token of recent fashion fads widely seen in social media. 

Gertz thinks the personal story that comes with the items in one’s wardrobe should be approached with thought and detail. He recommends emerging yourself in the things you like and letting that drive your search for personal style. 
“I’m really into raw denim since it’s not treated, the indigo die wears off and fades to how you live your life. I always put my wallet in the left side of my pocket so there’s a fade that’s the outline of my wallet. No one’s going to have that same jean as me because I faded it,” Gertz said.

Overconsumption

The Frye Boot trend highlights the pressure of overindulgence that consumers often face. Echo chambers on social media contribute to our need to obsessively buy more. Even on apps like Pinterest, algorithms spit out images and aesthetics that align with what a user has previously interacted with. Creating a mood board or inspiration page has now been stifled by doom-scrolling past the same pictures, items of clothing and models. This circular cycle of content puts a narrow lens on style, showcasing how items like Frye boots came to popularity once they got that initial push.

“People want everything now really easy, just instant like, I see someone wearing an outfit, and I’ll want them to link every single piece of clothing,” Gertz commented, speaking to modern influencers and their tendency to link each individual item of clothing for their followers. This attitude fosters a need for more, never really being satisfied with the items we own in the efforts to keep up with trends.

Being a sustainable shopper 

What the Frye boot trend reveals is our incessant desire to own the items pushed by mainstream algorithms and social media. A widespread reaction of this fashion crisis is the attempt to turn to a more sustainable stone. When it comes to sustainable shopping, buying second-hand or researching items’ materials can reduce environmental impact.

Gertz recommends the resource Good On You, a website that evaluates the sustainability and environmental impacts of brands. 

“I feel like sustainable fashion is one of like the most like unique forms of fashion out there. Because sure I can go into any store and buy something off the rack, or I could wear a well made piece, year after year and have it have holes and tears that are representative of the way I’ve lived  my life,” he said.

Beyond individual efforts, people like Loïc Debrabander and Anaëlle Picavet of French startup Vegskin, have been using food waste to create an eco-friendly leather alternative. Maybe one day the banana-colored Frye boots will be made with actual bananas. 

So whatever your next clothing purchase may be, take a step back and consider how that piece is special and the ways it might fulfill you and your personal style beyond that of the most recent trend.