Everything to Know About 'What Are Those?': Meaning, Creator, and Lasting Pop Culture Impact
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
Sneaker roast culture has deep roots in urban communities across the United States. For decades, wearing unapproved, off-brand, or scuffed footwear in school corridors or on playground courts meant enduring relentless mockery from peers. Moore tapped directly into that long-standing social ritual, stripping away its regional barriers and translating it into an accessible digital soundbite.
Vine's strict six-second format created an ideal acoustic environment for this type of humor. There was zero narrative throat-clearing. The setup took three seconds, the punchline landed on the fifth second, and the audio looped seamlessly back into the beginning. The sudden zoom-in technique that Moore utilized quickly became an industry-standard visual trope across mobile video applications.
The phrase operated as linguistic shorthand. It allowed anyone with a phone to instantly signal cultural literacy without needing deep knowledge of limited-edition footwear drops. By late 2015, high school hallways across North America and Europe echoed with teenagers pointing downward and shrieking the phrase at anyone wearing unconventional shoes.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
