The Walmart ‘Birkin’ Bag, Explained

The hottest accessory of the holiday season is elusive yet attainable, affordable yet hard to find, and has a name that demonstrates its dichotomous nature. It’s the Walmart “Birkin” bag.

If you’re wondering what exactly the Walmart version of the famed Hermès bag could possibly be, you aren’t alone. Over the course of a few short weeks, the $80 “Wirkin” has swept social media, delighting some and infuriating others, and sparking multiple debates about elitism, dupes, and luxury fashion. And according to multiple proud new owners who chatted with Glamour, the bag is worth the hype.

Here’s everything you need to know, in this edition of TL;DR.

Give me the TL;DR.

An $80 purse sold by Walmart has gone viral for its resemblance to the iconic and exclusive Hermès Birkin bag—and sparking a debate about luxury fashion.

Wait, I need more. What’s the background here?

The “Walmart Birkin” bag began to pop up on Walmart’s website and in stores last year. Sold by multiple brands with names like Bestspr and Kamugo, the purse has a striking resemblance to a Birkin bag, matching its design in elements like the buckles on the front and the size of its handles. (The bag isn’t currently available on Walmart’s website, but you can find them on TikTok shop and other online stores.)

Soon people on social media began to notice how much the bag—which retails for anywhere from $60 to $80—resembles a Birkin. Like, so much so, that most people probably couldn’t tell the difference if you were carrying one around.

This likely will come to the attention of Hermès’s lawyers, if it hasn’t already. Products that closely resemble an iconic designer item without blatantly ripping off their trademark, often called dupes, exist in a legal gray area and can cross the line from being simply an homage to a popular style to infringing on a copyright. Many argue that dupe culture is inherently bad for the environment, as it creates a cheaply made alternative to a high-quality item.

For some on TikTok, though, the idea of such an apparently spot-on dupe of a Birkin was exciting, because the designer bag is one of the most exclusive (and expensive) accessories around. Not only do they cost anywhere from the low five figures to up to a million at auction, you can’t just walk into a Hermes store and buy one. (You can read more about the process here.)

So the idea of just being able to waltz over to Wally World and spend less than $100 to make yourself look bougie is an intriguing idea. Jessica, a teacher, mom, and fashion aficionado, first saw the Wirkin on TikTok and knew she had to check it out.

Now she has two. She tells Glamour she’d love the bag even if it wasn’t a Wirkin.

“When I received it, I thought it was a very well-made bag,” she says. “Even if it wasn’t a dupe or an inspired bag, I would still love it. It’s great for holding a lot of items. I’ve traveled with it, used it for work, and even used it to hold my groceries.”

Jessica’s praise was echoed by another happy Wirkin owner: Kristi Stephens, a stay-at-home mom from South Carolina.

“I couldn’t believe how nice it was,” she tells Glamour. “The leather is amazing quality. The hardware is a beautiful gold. I was impressed with the quality to say the least.”

What does the internet think?

Like many, many other Wirkin purchasers, Jessica and Kristi posted videos of their bags on TikTok. They were blown away by the response—both positive and negative.

One video of Jessica’s Walmart bags has been viewed nearly 10 million times, and the comments have ranged from people begging her to share the link to others holding their noses at her promoting a dupe.

“I’m glad I went viral in my 40s,” Jessica says. “I now have thick enough skin to handle it. I can understand that people may not agree with brands copying other brands. I think that’s the reason some don’t like it.”

Curiosity also drew Kaleigh Durkin, a marketing professional from Massachusetts, to order a Wirkin from Walmart’s website, and her video unboxing it was also viewed by millions. She tells Glamour that as someone in marketing, she isn’t surprised how much the Wirkin has blown up.

“I think it really speaks to the mass population of people wanting something that exudes status, without the price tag,” she says.

As their popularity has grown, debate over the Wirkins has naturally raged. There are plenty of real Birkin owners who are none too pleased about the dupe because they value the craftsmanship and artistry of the Hermès bag. Racing to get a fast-fashion facsimile, they argue, is both devaluing that craft and creating environmental waste.

Jenn Celeste, a fashion commenter who has a podcast called Thoughtful Threads, says that she believes the Birkin to Wirkin pipeline is an example of “the problematic effects of algorithm-driven social media feeds on consumption."

“While the bag was once highly coveted by a niche group familiar with Hermes lore, the algorithm has turned it into a ubiquitous status symbol,” she tells Glamour. “Many buying the Wirkin may love it momentarily, but it's likely to end up on resale sites or in a landfill soon after the ultra wealthy adopt new emblems. Today’s Hermes enthusiasts prioritize status over craftsmanship—if they truly valued the quality, they wouldn’t choose a Wirkin.”

But as the bag has become more and more viral, the Wirkin has also become a new cause celebre in the “eat the rich” corners of TikTok, with people decrying the original Birkin as nothing special and encouraging others to get the dupe.

“The Walmart Birkin is called a Wirkin because it’s for the wirkin class,” said one person on TikTok.

Many people have pointed out that the original Birkin was created for model Jane Birkin, who wanted a utilitarian bag that she could use daily as a mother. The bag’s evolution from essentially a diaper bag to one that is so expensive only an elite can buy it (and probably doesn’t want to use it to hold baby bottles) has led some to argue that it’s lost its original purpose. Thus, some on TikTok have said, maybe Jane Birkin herself would have appreciated the Wirkin for its utilitarianism (though we doubt Hermès would agree).

Jessica says she thinks the handbag is good enough to stand on its own and isn’t a fake in the way some may think.

“Items are duped or copied all the time in various arenas, including clothes, shoes, makeup, jewelry, and electronics,” she says. “I think others don’t realize that there are no logos or branding on the bag. It’s not counterfeit.”

Have the brands responded to all this?

Neither Hermès nor Walmart have publicly commented on the Wirkin, though you can no longer purchase the bag on Walmart’s website.

What should I tell my friends about this?

Ask them if they can tell the difference between a Wirkin and a Birkin. Just for fun, of course.