Since the premier of Korean drama Squid Game on Netflix, Vans has seen a 7,800 per cent rise in sales of their white slip-on shoes, according to Sole Supplier.
The series, which Netflix believes could be their most successful of all time, explores a dystopian reality, in which a mysterious organisation recruits people in debt to compete in a series of apparently childish games for the chance to win a life-changing amount of money.
The games are based on classic children’s games, some of which are specific to Korea, while others, such as “Red Light, Green Light”, are known worldwide.
Unlike typical children’s games, however, those in Squid Game have deadly consequences should you lose.
All participants in the game wear the same uniform consisting of a green and white tracksuit paired with plain white plimsolls.
According to Lyst, basic white shoes, throughout the world, have also seen a 97 per cent uptick in search volume since the show launched.
Many fans have shared their views on the series on social media.
Illustrator and portrait artist Alice X Zhang wrote: “Hey ya’ll, if you’re looking for something to binge, Squid Game (on Netflix) was absolutely WILD. Even though the “Battle Royale/Hunger Games” concept is imo quite overdone, this show genuinely managed to surprise me, in addition to having great acting and set design.”
“Squid game is the best series I’ve watched on Netflix after Money Heist,” wrote another fan.
One more person appreciated the colour contrast used in the show.
“Let’s just appreciate how stunning the color contrast in Squid Game,” the person wrote.
Many TikTok users have also started a new trend of reconstructing dramatisations of deadly games from the show. In fact, hashtag #SquidGame has racked up over 11 billion views on the video-sharing app filled with fan edits, memes, and clips.
