Surge in Shoe Accessory Trades Amid Shoe Decoration Craze
Ribbon Laces and Sneaker Laces Increase with 'Ballet Core' Trend
"Expansion to Other Decoration Categories Planned"
"I love deciding what to wear every day and dressing up anew."
Recently, singer HyunA mentioned this on a TV program, describing a repetitive morning routine. Before going out, she takes lace, keyrings, ribbons, and other items from a basket nearby to decorate her shoes and bag. Instead of the original shoelaces, she ties her shoes with ribbon laces and attaches Tamagotchi, dolls, or ribbon pins to the shoe hooks to express her unique personality. She described this as a small but certain happiness (sohwakhaeng) that can be enjoyed with little money.
The number of 'Sinkku-jok'?people who decorate their shoes in their own way?is increasing.
According to Musinsa on the 21st, as of last month, the transaction amount for shoelaces and shoe accessories increased 16 times compared to the same month last year. Keyring transactions rose sevenfold. Shoe accessories include items such as 'Jibbitz' charms that can be inserted into slipper holes and insoles. Purchasing multiple Jibbitz to decorate shoes has been a popular trend for some time. Recently, this trend has evolved further, expanding the demand for Sinkku to various types of shoes, including sneakers.
On the fashion platform KakaoStyle Zigzag, which has many users in their 20s and older, 'Sinkku' appeared as a search term for the first time this year, with search volume exploding. From the beginning of the year to the 20th, the search volume for 'sneaker laces' increased by 378%, and 'decorating' surged by 3675%. Actual transaction amounts also rose significantly; from last month to the 20th of this month, sneaker lace transactions increased by 189%, and ribbons surged by 134%. Interest in the 'Ballet Core' style, which combines ballet wear and everyday clothing, is believed to have driven the increased demand for decorations using ribbons and sneaker laces.
Interest in shoes that are easy to decorate is also growing. On the fashion platform W Concept, sneaker sales increased by 53% from last month to this month. At Able, sneakers that are easy to decorate and design personally are rapidly selling out. From the 1st to the 15th of this month, the transaction amount for the ‘Adidas Neo Jog Blue White,’ known for its diverse color composition, increased more than 15 times compared to the same period last month, and the ‘Adidas Court Indoor Samba’ rose by 296%. The monochrome ‘Nike Court Borough Sneakers’ also saw a 72% increase in transaction amount.
The fashion industry believes that as more people value diverse experiences and want to express their individuality, the decorating craze will continue. This decorating trend has expanded from phone decorating (Ponkku) to diary decorating (Dakku), bag decorating (Baekku), tumbler decorating (Teomkku), and now to shoe decorating (Sinkku).
According to an MD (Merchandise Buyer) at a fashion platform, "The key point is expressing uniqueness rather than standardized ready-made products," adding, "As interest grows in decorating everyday items easily found in daily life (as it progressed from phones to shoes), the decorating category is expected to continue expanding."
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