The phrase began on Vine in 2015, when a short clip asking a police officer about his black boots exploded beyond the app. The line was repeated, remixed and parodied across Vine, Instagram and YouTube, often paired with close ups of unfashionable footwear. Basketball player Michael Jordan became a frequent target in edits, which helped keep the joke alive after Vine shut down. It survives on soundboards because the question alone signals mockery, making it useful even without the original video attached to the audio file.
About this sound
The What Are Those shoes meme is a short Vine clip of a man shouting at someone's shoes, now used as a funny reaction sound for bad fashion choices.
A young man films another person's shoes and shouts What are those in a loud, drawn out, completely over the top voice. The delivery starts curious and quickly turns to mock horror, as if the shoes are a crime against fashion. The clip is only a couple of seconds long, but the rising pitch and sudden cut make it instantly recognisable. Viewers hear it as an instant roast, turning an ordinary pair of sneakers, sandals or boots into the punchline without any extra explanation needed.
