Nike Elite zippers are being stolen for TikTok trend and people are furious

Teens are going on stealing sprees to collect the zippers off of Nike Elite backpacks, accumulating dozens and reselling them for a pretty penny to victims of the new online trend.

A trend spreading on social media shows thieves taking the zips off Nike Elite backpacks. TikTok users are even posting videos proudly displaying zippers they have snatched off other people’s bags.

One New York City teen gloated about his growing collection already totaling over a dozen zipper ties, which are specific to the model of Nike rucksack, warning others to not leave their bags around him.

Other clips on TikTok show the teenage troublemakers boasting about how many they can score in a single day at school — and how much they go for on the resale market.

Some thieves are championing the trend, saying it could “pay my bills” while charging a few bucks for a zipper to those victimized by the trend. Others, however, are marking up the ties for a whopping $40, according to commenters on TikTok.

People outraged as schools warn of zipper thieves

One creator said others have “taken [it] way too far” in a TikTok post with footage of store shelves fully stocked with Nike Elite backpacks — all missing the fabric ties on the zippers.

One Reddit user who claims they are the victim of the trend wrote: “What the hell is with this trend of people taking the zippers of Nike Elite backpacks off?

“In the last week I have had people including me have almost all of zippers removed from out backpacks when we’re walking.”

Others replied saying they also had their zips taken off, with another user saying: “My son’s were stolen yesterday. I am so frustrated. Buy your own stuff losers.”

Another added: “One of the lamest trends I’ve seen. Stealing from people isn’t cool. Not to mention the whole concept looks trash and they are literally just standard zip pulls with a plastic coating.”

Some schools have even been forced to issue an email warning about the trend, according to users on TikTok, while Nike Elite owners who “hate this trend” have resorted to carrying their backpacks front-facing rather than on their backs, double knot the ties so that they’re more difficult to steal or remove them altogether.

It is unclear what has prompted the trend online, but a Reddit user said their dad was also a victim of it 30 years ago.

They wrote: “It’s not a new trend, I told my dad about this trend and he said they’ve been doing that forever, since he was in high school over 30 years ago. He said some stores even started selling the zippers too.”

This isn’t the only thing that has outraged TikTok users lately, as one user sparked controversy after confronting a woman who took their charger on a plane.