What Are Those

2015Viral video / catchphrasesemi-active

Also known as: What Are Thooooose · WHAT ARE THOSE

What Are Those? is a 2015 viral video meme where content creator Brandon Moore filmed himself loudly questioning a police officer's work boots, spawning countless parodies and pranks across Vine and Instagram.

"What Are Those?" is a viral video meme that originated on Instagram in June 2015 when Berkeley, California content creator Brandon Moore (known as Young Busco) filmed himself loudly questioning a police officer's work boots. The clip spread rapidly across Vine and Instagram, spawning countless parody videos, remixes, and real-life pranks where people would call out someone's questionable footwear by shouting the phrase with exaggerated emphasis. The meme became one of the defining moments of Vine-era internet culture and sneaker community humor.

TL;DR

What Are Those a declining meme from 2015 based on a viral video where someone exclaims 'What are those?' in reaction to someone's shoes or unconventional clothing.

Overview

The meme centers on a simple but devastating social interaction: someone spots another person wearing ugly, off-brand, or worn-out shoes, points a camera at the footwear, and shouts "What are THOSE?!" with heavy emphasis on the last word. The humor comes from the theatrical delivery, the public shaming element, and the target's confused or embarrassed reaction. While initially focused on footwear, the format expanded to mock any questionable fashion choice or odd-looking object5.

The phrase functions as both a genuine insult and a playful roast. As Urban Dictionary defined it, it's "a rhetorical question used on someone with ugly or old shoes"6. The key is the voice: drawn-out, dramatic, and pointed directly at the offending item.

The concept predates the viral video. On October 2, 2011, Urban Dictionary user JOHNxRYAN95 created an entry defining "What Are Those?" as a question yelled at someone wearing unkempt or off-brand footwear4. But the meme as the internet knows it started on June 14, 2015, when Instagram user Brandon Moore, who went by the handle @youngbusco, uploaded a video shot at the Berkeley flea market in California7.

In the clip, a woman named Myesha was being arrested for drinking in public. Moore, who said he always had his camera out to document his daily life on Snapchat, turned the lens toward the arresting officer's clunky black work boots and shouted "What are those?!" The officer looked at him, seemingly unimpressed, and walked off12. Within three weeks, the video picked up over 2,300 likes and 1,200 comments on Instagram4.

Moore told Complex in an interview that calling out bad shoes was something he'd been doing since childhood. "I've been doing 'what are those?' forever. It's something I did as a kid to talk about my friend's shoes," he explained. "It was a spur of the moment type of thing with that cop, and, to be honest, I thought he was going to slap me with his night stick"7.

Origin & Background

Platform
Instagram (original video), Vine (viral spread)
Creator
Young Busco
Date
2015
Year
2015

The concept predates the viral video. On October 2, 2011, Urban Dictionary user JOHNxRYAN95 created an entry defining "What Are Those?" as a question yelled at someone wearing unkempt or off-brand footwear. But the meme as the internet knows it started on June 14, 2015, when Instagram user Brandon Moore, who went by the handle @youngbusco, uploaded a video shot at the Berkeley flea market in California.

In the clip, a woman named Myesha was being arrested for drinking in public. Moore, who said he always had his camera out to document his daily life on Snapchat, turned the lens toward the arresting officer's clunky black work boots and shouted "What are those?!" The officer looked at him, seemingly unimpressed, and walked off. Within three weeks, the video picked up over 2,300 likes and 1,200 comments on Instagram.

Moore told Complex in an interview that calling out bad shoes was something he'd been doing since childhood. "I've been doing 'what are those?' forever. It's something I did as a kid to talk about my friend's shoes," he explained. "It was a spur of the moment type of thing with that cop, and, to be honest, I thought he was going to slap me with his night stick".

How It Spread

The meme jumped from Instagram to Vine on June 18, 2015, when Viner A-RODney King reuploaded the clip, where it picked up over 20 million loops, 271,000 likes, and 136,000 revines within two weeks. Two days later, YouTuber Crey Crey posted a looped version that pulled in over 210,000 views.

By late June, the format was everywhere. On June 27, the DeboraGrano Vines YouTube channel uploaded a compilation of notable remixes and parodies. The next day, Viner Samuel Grubbs posted footage of a man jumping down from a church pulpit to ask a seated church-goer the question. Complex published its first article about the trend on June 29, followed by a full interview with Moore the same day.

The autotuned remix era kicked off on July 1, when Viner Danny Gonzalez layered the audio over a scene from Jurassic Park. That video hit 8.9 million loops, 205,000 likes, and 110,000 revines in its first 24 hours. On July 21, Viner Joey Gatto pulled the prank on his grandmother, who calmly responded "they are my Crocs," earning over 33.7 million views.

The meme's peak celebrity moment came on August 4, 2015, when a camper at Michael Jordan's basketball camp stood up during a Q&A session and asked the basketball legend, "What are those?" The crowd erupted, but Jordan looked confused and needed the meme explained to him. After admitting he was "lost on that Vine tip," Jordan fired back: "What are those? These are XX9 Lows," referring to unreleased Air Jordans on his feet. TIME covered the exchange, noting that the meme was "an increasingly popular trend" for publicly shaming people with lame footwear.

Platforms

VineTwitterYouTubeInstagram

Timeline

2015-01-01

Video goes viral and meme begins spreading

2015-06-01

Moderate peak popularity

2015-12-01

Usage plateaus at moderate levels

2016-06-01

Begins declining as trend

2017-onwards

Transitions to declining status

2018-01-01

Brands and companies started using What Are Those in marketing

2020-01-01

What Are Those entered the broader pop culture conversation

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The classic "What Are Those?" format follows a simple pattern:

1

Spot someone wearing ugly, worn-out, off-brand, or otherwise questionable shoes (or any unfashionable item).

2

Point your camera or finger at the offending item.

3

Ask in a dramatic, drawn-out voice: "What are THOSE?!"

4

The humor works best when the target is caught off-guard.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

"What Are Those?" became a defining meme of mid-2015 Vine culture and put sneaker shaming into the mainstream internet vocabulary. The phrase landed its own Urban Dictionary entry and became a real-life social interaction that teenagers and young adults used in schools, malls, and public spaces across the U.S. and Canada.

The meme's reach into professional sports through the Michael Jordan camp incident brought coverage from TIME, ABC7, and other major outlets, marking one of the first times a Vine meme directly confronted a global sports icon in person. Complex identified the trend as central to sneakerhead culture, noting that "there are few larger signs of disrespect than to question a man for what he's wearing".

Moore's death in November 2018 prompted a wave of tributes across social media, with users sharing the original video and remembering him as someone who "changed the world with laughter".

Full History

Brandon Moore's path to internet fame was unlikely. Born in Berkeley, California, Moore was a father of five who had struggled with drug addiction and time in jail before turning to comedy and Instagram content creation. In his Complex interview, he credited his grandmother's death as a turning point that pushed him to get clean and become active in his kids' lives. "Now I'm here, spreading happiness and joy by making everyone laugh," he said.

The "What Are Those?" video wasn't even supposed to be a big deal. Moore posted it alongside three other videos from the same day at the Berkeley flea market. "I did not expect for that video to be that big. I have tons of funny videos on my page that I think are way funnier than that one," he told Complex, adding that "the fact that I did that to a police officer made it epic".

Once the meme took off, it became a full-blown cultural phenomenon within sneaker culture. Complex described the trend as showing "no signs of letting up," noting that "nobody's safe out here: church-goers, teachers, and even some of your favorite cartoon characters couldn't escape". BuzzFeed ran its own roundup of the best examples, declaring that "no part of your outfit is allowed to be slacking". The format extended well beyond real-life encounters. Vine users began dubbing the original audio over scenes from movies and TV shows, creating photoshopped versions with cartoon characters, and ambushing friends, family members, and strangers alike.

Moore also shared a cautionary tale about when the prank went wrong. He once tried it on a homeless man with "what are those?"-worthy shoes. The man kicked the phone out of his hand, then kicked Moore in the ribs. While Moore lay on the ground, the man took money from his pocket and left. "I guess you can call that, when 'what are those' goes wrong," Moore reflected.

The Meme Documentation blog noted that by late June 2015, the meme had crossed over from Vine to Tumblr and was already evolving beyond its shoe-focused origins. "This meme, however, has evolved so examples of the meme may not necessarily be about shoes but rather some other article of clothing or object," the blog documented. Moore himself acknowledged this broader application: "What are those is making fun of not only shoes, but anything that you want to insult somebody about. A girl can have a weird hairstyle, and you can point at her hair like, 'What is that,' with the same voice tone and energy".

The Michael Jordan incident in August 2015 marked the meme's crossover into mainstream sports media. ABC7 Chicago, TIME, and other outlets all covered the exchange at Jordan's basketball camp, where 17-year-old Bryce Lyle tried to embarrass the Hall of Famer. Jordan's smooth response, pointing to his unreleased XX9 Lows, became its own viral moment, with TIME noting that "you didn't think you could best His Royal Airness".

Tragedy struck on November 25, 2018, when rumors that Brandon Moore had died began spreading on Twitter. Users posted tributes, sharing the original video and photographs of Moore with his children. Reporter Melissa Colorado confirmed the news that day, and an obituary was posted on EveryDayDevotional. MTO News reported that Moore "died in his sleep" and that authorities did not suspect foul play. He was 31 years old. The Heat Magazine later reported that Moore's death was caused by an accidental overdose.

Fun Facts

Moore said he wasn't even planning to post the original video to Instagram but saved it on impulse and uploaded it alongside three other clips from that day.

The phrase existed as playground slang before the viral video. Moore said he'd been using it since childhood to roast friends' shoes.

Fetty Wap's music was remixed to incorporate the "What Are Those?" punchline during the meme's peak.

An actual "What Are Those?" button was sold on Amazon that played the audio clip when pressed.

Moore's one piece of advice about the meme format: don't try it on strangers who might fight back, as he learned the hard way.

Derivatives & Variations

Fashion judgment memes, Similar content criticizing clothing choices

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Reaction phrase memes, Other catchphrase-based viral videos

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Vine-based memes, Related content from the same platform

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Sarcastic judgment formats, Similar memes celebrating sarcasm

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Shoe-related humor, Content specifically focused on footwear

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Those

2015Viral video / catchphrasesemi-active

Also known as: What Are Thooooose · WHAT ARE THOSE

What Are Those? is a 2015 viral video meme where content creator Brandon Moore filmed himself loudly questioning a police officer's work boots, spawning countless parodies and pranks across Vine and Instagram.

"What Are Those?" is a viral video meme that originated on Instagram in June 2015 when Berkeley, California content creator Brandon Moore (known as Young Busco) filmed himself loudly questioning a police officer's work boots. The clip spread rapidly across Vine and Instagram, spawning countless parody videos, remixes, and real-life pranks where people would call out someone's questionable footwear by shouting the phrase with exaggerated emphasis. The meme became one of the defining moments of Vine-era internet culture and sneaker community humor.

TL;DR

What Are Those a declining meme from 2015 based on a viral video where someone exclaims 'What are those?' in reaction to someone's shoes or unconventional clothing.

Overview

The meme centers on a simple but devastating social interaction: someone spots another person wearing ugly, off-brand, or worn-out shoes, points a camera at the footwear, and shouts "What are THOSE?!" with heavy emphasis on the last word. The humor comes from the theatrical delivery, the public shaming element, and the target's confused or embarrassed reaction. While initially focused on footwear, the format expanded to mock any questionable fashion choice or odd-looking object.

The phrase functions as both a genuine insult and a playful roast. As Urban Dictionary defined it, it's "a rhetorical question used on someone with ugly or old shoes". The key is the voice: drawn-out, dramatic, and pointed directly at the offending item.

The concept predates the viral video. On October 2, 2011, Urban Dictionary user JOHNxRYAN95 created an entry defining "What Are Those?" as a question yelled at someone wearing unkempt or off-brand footwear. But the meme as the internet knows it started on June 14, 2015, when Instagram user Brandon Moore, who went by the handle @youngbusco, uploaded a video shot at the Berkeley flea market in California.

In the clip, a woman named Myesha was being arrested for drinking in public. Moore, who said he always had his camera out to document his daily life on Snapchat, turned the lens toward the arresting officer's clunky black work boots and shouted "What are those?!" The officer looked at him, seemingly unimpressed, and walked off. Within three weeks, the video picked up over 2,300 likes and 1,200 comments on Instagram.

Moore told Complex in an interview that calling out bad shoes was something he'd been doing since childhood. "I've been doing 'what are those?' forever. It's something I did as a kid to talk about my friend's shoes," he explained. "It was a spur of the moment type of thing with that cop, and, to be honest, I thought he was going to slap me with his night stick".

Origin & Background

Platform
Instagram (original video), Vine (viral spread)
Creator
Young Busco
Date
2015
Year
2015

The concept predates the viral video. On October 2, 2011, Urban Dictionary user JOHNxRYAN95 created an entry defining "What Are Those?" as a question yelled at someone wearing unkempt or off-brand footwear. But the meme as the internet knows it started on June 14, 2015, when Instagram user Brandon Moore, who went by the handle @youngbusco, uploaded a video shot at the Berkeley flea market in California.

In the clip, a woman named Myesha was being arrested for drinking in public. Moore, who said he always had his camera out to document his daily life on Snapchat, turned the lens toward the arresting officer's clunky black work boots and shouted "What are those?!" The officer looked at him, seemingly unimpressed, and walked off. Within three weeks, the video picked up over 2,300 likes and 1,200 comments on Instagram.

Moore told Complex in an interview that calling out bad shoes was something he'd been doing since childhood. "I've been doing 'what are those?' forever. It's something I did as a kid to talk about my friend's shoes," he explained. "It was a spur of the moment type of thing with that cop, and, to be honest, I thought he was going to slap me with his night stick".

How It Spread

The meme jumped from Instagram to Vine on June 18, 2015, when Viner A-RODney King reuploaded the clip, where it picked up over 20 million loops, 271,000 likes, and 136,000 revines within two weeks. Two days later, YouTuber Crey Crey posted a looped version that pulled in over 210,000 views.

By late June, the format was everywhere. On June 27, the DeboraGrano Vines YouTube channel uploaded a compilation of notable remixes and parodies. The next day, Viner Samuel Grubbs posted footage of a man jumping down from a church pulpit to ask a seated church-goer the question. Complex published its first article about the trend on June 29, followed by a full interview with Moore the same day.

The autotuned remix era kicked off on July 1, when Viner Danny Gonzalez layered the audio over a scene from Jurassic Park. That video hit 8.9 million loops, 205,000 likes, and 110,000 revines in its first 24 hours. On July 21, Viner Joey Gatto pulled the prank on his grandmother, who calmly responded "they are my Crocs," earning over 33.7 million views.

The meme's peak celebrity moment came on August 4, 2015, when a camper at Michael Jordan's basketball camp stood up during a Q&A session and asked the basketball legend, "What are those?" The crowd erupted, but Jordan looked confused and needed the meme explained to him. After admitting he was "lost on that Vine tip," Jordan fired back: "What are those? These are XX9 Lows," referring to unreleased Air Jordans on his feet. TIME covered the exchange, noting that the meme was "an increasingly popular trend" for publicly shaming people with lame footwear.

Platforms

VineTwitterYouTubeInstagram

Timeline

2015-01-01

Video goes viral and meme begins spreading

2015-06-01

Moderate peak popularity

2015-12-01

Usage plateaus at moderate levels

2016-06-01

Begins declining as trend

2017-onwards

Transitions to declining status

2018-01-01

Brands and companies started using What Are Those in marketing

2020-01-01

What Are Those entered the broader pop culture conversation

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The classic "What Are Those?" format follows a simple pattern:

1

Spot someone wearing ugly, worn-out, off-brand, or otherwise questionable shoes (or any unfashionable item).

2

Point your camera or finger at the offending item.

3

Ask in a dramatic, drawn-out voice: "What are THOSE?!"

4

The humor works best when the target is caught off-guard.

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

"What Are Those?" became a defining meme of mid-2015 Vine culture and put sneaker shaming into the mainstream internet vocabulary. The phrase landed its own Urban Dictionary entry and became a real-life social interaction that teenagers and young adults used in schools, malls, and public spaces across the U.S. and Canada.

The meme's reach into professional sports through the Michael Jordan camp incident brought coverage from TIME, ABC7, and other major outlets, marking one of the first times a Vine meme directly confronted a global sports icon in person. Complex identified the trend as central to sneakerhead culture, noting that "there are few larger signs of disrespect than to question a man for what he's wearing".

Moore's death in November 2018 prompted a wave of tributes across social media, with users sharing the original video and remembering him as someone who "changed the world with laughter".

Full History

Brandon Moore's path to internet fame was unlikely. Born in Berkeley, California, Moore was a father of five who had struggled with drug addiction and time in jail before turning to comedy and Instagram content creation. In his Complex interview, he credited his grandmother's death as a turning point that pushed him to get clean and become active in his kids' lives. "Now I'm here, spreading happiness and joy by making everyone laugh," he said.

The "What Are Those?" video wasn't even supposed to be a big deal. Moore posted it alongside three other videos from the same day at the Berkeley flea market. "I did not expect for that video to be that big. I have tons of funny videos on my page that I think are way funnier than that one," he told Complex, adding that "the fact that I did that to a police officer made it epic".

Once the meme took off, it became a full-blown cultural phenomenon within sneaker culture. Complex described the trend as showing "no signs of letting up," noting that "nobody's safe out here: church-goers, teachers, and even some of your favorite cartoon characters couldn't escape". BuzzFeed ran its own roundup of the best examples, declaring that "no part of your outfit is allowed to be slacking". The format extended well beyond real-life encounters. Vine users began dubbing the original audio over scenes from movies and TV shows, creating photoshopped versions with cartoon characters, and ambushing friends, family members, and strangers alike.

Moore also shared a cautionary tale about when the prank went wrong. He once tried it on a homeless man with "what are those?"-worthy shoes. The man kicked the phone out of his hand, then kicked Moore in the ribs. While Moore lay on the ground, the man took money from his pocket and left. "I guess you can call that, when 'what are those' goes wrong," Moore reflected.

The Meme Documentation blog noted that by late June 2015, the meme had crossed over from Vine to Tumblr and was already evolving beyond its shoe-focused origins. "This meme, however, has evolved so examples of the meme may not necessarily be about shoes but rather some other article of clothing or object," the blog documented. Moore himself acknowledged this broader application: "What are those is making fun of not only shoes, but anything that you want to insult somebody about. A girl can have a weird hairstyle, and you can point at her hair like, 'What is that,' with the same voice tone and energy".

The Michael Jordan incident in August 2015 marked the meme's crossover into mainstream sports media. ABC7 Chicago, TIME, and other outlets all covered the exchange at Jordan's basketball camp, where 17-year-old Bryce Lyle tried to embarrass the Hall of Famer. Jordan's smooth response, pointing to his unreleased XX9 Lows, became its own viral moment, with TIME noting that "you didn't think you could best His Royal Airness".

Tragedy struck on November 25, 2018, when rumors that Brandon Moore had died began spreading on Twitter. Users posted tributes, sharing the original video and photographs of Moore with his children. Reporter Melissa Colorado confirmed the news that day, and an obituary was posted on EveryDayDevotional. MTO News reported that Moore "died in his sleep" and that authorities did not suspect foul play. He was 31 years old. The Heat Magazine later reported that Moore's death was caused by an accidental overdose.

Fun Facts

Moore said he wasn't even planning to post the original video to Instagram but saved it on impulse and uploaded it alongside three other clips from that day.

The phrase existed as playground slang before the viral video. Moore said he'd been using it since childhood to roast friends' shoes.

Fetty Wap's music was remixed to incorporate the "What Are Those?" punchline during the meme's peak.

An actual "What Are Those?" button was sold on Amazon that played the audio clip when pressed.

Moore's one piece of advice about the meme format: don't try it on strangers who might fight back, as he learned the hard way.

Derivatives & Variations

Fashion judgment memes, Similar content criticizing clothing choices

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Reaction phrase memes, Other catchphrase-based viral videos

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Vine-based memes, Related content from the same platform

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Sarcastic judgment formats, Similar memes celebrating sarcasm

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Shoe-related humor, Content specifically focused on footwear

A variation of What Are Those

(2015)

Frequently Asked Questions