Fashionistas who’ve long lusted after Hermès exclusive and ultra-expensive Birkin handbag got a pre-holiday treat thanks to Walmart.com. It offered a reasonably close Birkin facsimile bag – dubbed a “Wirkin” on social media for the “working class Birkin” or “Walmart Birkin” – priced around $100, compared to the $10,000 and up for the real thing.

An inexpensive knockoff of the Birkin bag, an exclusive, extremely sought-after leather handbag by luxury brand Hermès that can sell for more than $400,000 US has launched a rousing debate online about fashion accessibility and copycat ethics.

In previous eras of internet culture, mockery of the rich and famous was usually relegated to far-left forums. But as 2025 begins, ridiculing the rich appears to have gone mainstream.

By contrast, Walmart’s Wirkin bag represented an affordable way for everyday shoppers to embrace the Birkin aesthetic. The bags became a viral sensation on TikTok, where users celebrated the design as a playful jab at the inaccessibility of luxury goods.

The viral Walmart ‘Birkin,’ or ‘Wirkin,” sold out in days and is no longer listed on Walmart.com. Here are a few alternatives to structured, elegant handbags at any budget.

Walmart is adding tens of thousands of pre-owned luxury handbags, jewelry and watches to its marketplace through a partnership with resale platform Rebag.

Walmart seems to have been paying close attention to all the hubbub about its so-called "Walmart Birkin" or "Wirkin"—the under-$80 Hermès imitator that skyrocketed to viral fame after it was tracked down by TikTokers this winter.