The Walmart Birkin Bag, Explained

Jessica’s praise was echoed by another happy Wirkin owner: Kristi Stephens, a stay-at-home mom from South Carolina.

“I couldn’t believe how nice it was,” she tells Glamour. “The leather is amazing quality. The hardware is a beautiful gold. I was impressed with the quality to say the least.”

What does the internet think?

Like many, many other Wirkin purchasers, Jessica and Kristi posted videos of their bags on TikTok. They were blown away by the response—both positive and negative.

One video of Jessica’s Walmart Birkins has been viewed nearly 10 million times, and the comments have ranged from people begging her to share the link to others holding their noses at her promoting a “dupe.”

“I’m glad I went viral in my 40s,” Jessica says. “I now have thick enough skin to handle it. I can understand that people may not agree with brands copying other brands. I think that’s the reason some don’t like it.”

Curiosity also drew Kaleigh Durkin, a marketing professional from Massachusetts, to order a Wirkin from Walmart’s website, and her video unboxing it was also viewed by millions. She tells Glamour that as someone in marketing, she isn’t surprised how much the Wirkin has blown up.

“I think it really speaks to the mass population of people wanting something that exudes status, without the price tag,” she says.

As their popularity has grown, debate over the Wirkins has naturally raged. There are plenty of real Birkin owners who are none too pleased about the dupe because they value the craftsmanship and artistry of the Hermes bag. Racing to get a “fast fashion” facsimile, they argue, is both devaluing that craft and creating environmental waste.

But as the bag has become more and more viral, the Wirkin has also become a new cause celebre in the “eat the rich” corners of TikTok, with people decrying the original Birkin as nothing special and encouraging others to get the dupe.

“The Walmart Birkin is called a Wirkin because it’s for the wirkin class,” said one person on TikTok.

Many people have pointed out that the original Birkin was created for model Jane Birkin, who wanted a utilitarian bag that she could use daily as a mother. The bag’s evolution from essentially a diaper bag to one that is so expensive only an elite can buy it (and probably doesn’t want to use it to hold baby bottles) has led some to argue that it’s lost its original purpose. Thus, some on TikTok have said, maybe Jane Birkin herself would have appreciated the Wirkin for its utilitarianism (though we doubt Hermes would agree).

Jessica says she thinks that the handbag is good enough to stand on its own and isn’t a fake in the way some may think.

“Items are duped or copied all the time in various arenas, including clothes, shoes, makeup, jewelry, and electronics,” she says. “I think others don’t realize that there are no logos or branding on the bag. It’s not counterfeit.”

Have the brands responded to all this?

Neither Hermes nor Walmart have publicly commented on the Wirkin, though you can no longer purchase the bag on Walmart’s website.

What should I tell my friends about this?

Ask them if they can tell the difference between a Wirkin and a Birkin. Just for fun, of course.