A woman is shopping for sneakers at Walmart when she notices a strange similarity between a women’s shoe and its men’s counterpart. So why is one pair $2 cheaper?
TikTok creator Alaina Fountain (@alainafountain) filmed the video from the shoe section of her local Walmart.
“You can’t make this up,’ she says. “‘Callie’ shoe. $36.98. Right? Women’s. This is the shoe. Take a good look at it. Now, come over here.”
Why is This Walmart Sneaker Cheaper?
Fountain moves over to a nearby display. “This one is called ‘Chad,’” she says, holding up a sneaker that looks essentially just like the “Callie.”
There is a difference between the two sneakers, however, and Fountain points it out. “It’s $2 cheaper,” she says of the “Chad.” The “men’s” sneaker costs $34.48.
“Can you tell the difference between the shoes?” Fountain asks. “Tell me which one’s the ‘women’s’ and which one is the ‘men’s.’ Two dollar difference. For what?”
In the caption, Fountain wrote, “I’ve heard of the pink tax before, but I have NEVER seen it this obvious before. This has got to stop.”
Is This a Thinly Veiled Pink Tax on Women’s Sneakers?
In the comments section of the video, several viewers agreed that this constitutes a pink tax on women’s sneakers. A pink tax, according to the World Economic Forum, is when a product costs more simply because the manufacturer expects women to buy it.
“That goes for everything,” wrote one viewer. “Even men’s deodorant.”
A second person said, “It costs $2 more to print the ‘wo’ in women’s. Always buy men’s.”
“The pink tax is the worst,” a third person said.
Not everyone was convinced this is an emergency, however. “I’ll never understand this argument,” one person wrote. “If it’s the exact same, then just buy the cheaper one.”
@alainafountain I've heard of the pink tax before but I have NEVER seen it this obvious before. 😒 This has got to stop… #pinktaxisreal #walmart #conspiracytok #walmartconspiracy ♬ original sound – Alaina Fountain
Do Women’s Shoes Cost More Than Men’s? And If So—Why?
According to Newsweek, there might actually be a reasonable explanation for the price discrepancy. The outlet looked at industry data and found that it can be cheaper to make men’s clothes because there are fewer variables in the manufacturing process.
Additionally, women may pay more due to marketing costs, inventory logistics, and shopping habits. Of course, the dynamic isn’t the same for every product, and in some cases men pay more than women for certain products.
Subplot contacted Fountain via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted Walmart via online contact form for comment.
