The catchphrase comes from a viral Vine in 2015, where a young man playfully questioned a police officer about his footwear, turning the officer's shoes into an instant joke. The clip was shared and remixed millions of times, and 'what are those' quickly became shorthand for mocking any outfit choice, especially sneakers. It survived Vine's closure because the line works without context, and creators still reuse it for outfit reveals, police sketches, and reaction edits across short-form video.