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Shein is making headlines yet again for its fast fashion wares — this time, during festival season (if you didn’t hear, music festival fashion is back and in full force). The brand’s latest product that has gone viral? Shoes that purportedly “deflated” during the Lovers and Friends festival in Las Vegas, it was claimed in a TikTok video.
In the viral clip, TikTok user @eacarrasco shared a glance at videos from her time at Lovers and Friends, wearing a pair of black Mary Jane platform shoes that she claimed are from Shein. She included screen shots of the brand’s Minimalist Platform Chunky Pumps, which retail for $31. The description said it’s designed with a rubber outsole and PU leather uppers. In the video, the TikToker showed clips of her walking on warm asphalt streets — where her shoes’ soles appeared to flatten and ultimately sink downwards.
@eacarrasco 🤷🏻♀️#loversandfriendsfest #90s #y2k #shein #lasvegas #summer
“When you spend weeks planning your lovers and friends festival outfit but the weather hits 100 degrees,” she captioned the clip, which has amassed over 350,000 views.
Immediately afterwards, she shared a second video replying to a comment stating the shoes had “deflated.” In this video, the user held the shoes and brought them to a recycling bin to discard them — The soles visibly squished.
“Didn’t melt but definitely deflated temporarily,” she captioned the clip.
@eacarrasco Reply to @redrobin_5 You best explained it lol #rbd #loversandfriendsfest #sheingonewrong #shein #lasvegas #funny
Naturally, the Internet had many thoughts about this.
Industry watchdog Instagram page Diet Prada circulated the video on their own feed, stating that her platforms “were no match for sweltering Vegas asphalt, and they collapsed under her feet as she walked.”
On the original TikToker’s own account, numerous comments called out Shein for its fast fashion practices and product quality. Some claimed the shoes had “melted” and “deflated” — even deeming them “splatforms.” Others blamed the poster’s peers for allowing her to wear the shoes in the first place.
“[Y]ou need new friends idk why yours would let u walk out like that,” one user commented.
Still, additional users also blamed the high Las Vegas weather for the incident — however it is not known if the footwear’s reaction to the heat played any role in what was seen in the video.
FN reached out to Shein for comments.
