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Gen Z has dismissed dreams of owning a Birkin bag and has picked up sneakers instead. As luxury struggles to woo a young generation of consumers who have not yet accumulated enough wealth to drop five figures on a handbag, the cohort of 20-somethings has instead become enamored with more affordable fitness activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have the ability to get up before work or after work and train and have running shoes and and you can do that, I mean major props to you,\u201d New York City influencer Chloe Hechter said in a recent TikTok about the city\u2019s \u201cstatus\u201d symbols. \u201cI feel like saying that you ran\u2014or that you run, or that you’re going to run\u2014the New York City Marathon is huge clout in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gen Z, a generation finishing college and beginning to climb the career ladder, was hit with a COVID-era perfect storm of financial woes and push toward virtual communication that has led them to prioritize all things fitness, said Jessica Ram\u00edrez, cofounder and managing director of the retail trend firm the Consumer Collective. <\/p>\n
An era of jobless growth following post-pandemic hiring surges endangered Gen Z\u2019s career aspirations of finding or getting promoted at a job, making it harder for them to accumulate wealth. A desire for a cheap hobby, paired with a desire to escape from a loneliness epidemic that was exacerbated during the pandemic, has created a burgeoning trend of finding community at a gym or run club, where dropping tons of cash is optional.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith running, it’s the easiest sport, where you can just go outside, put on a pair of speakers,\u201d Ram\u00edrez told Fortune<\/em>. \u201cGen Z is affected the most by the loneliness effect, and a lot of these sports communities\u2014running being the biggest one\u2014it offers a community.\u201d<\/p>\n Hechter wasn\u2019t imagining a Gen Z takeover of her hometown race. The 2025 New York City Marathon had a record 59,226 participants, nearly 11,000 of which 25-to-29-year olds, comprising the largest cohort of runners at nearly 25%. By comparison, just 17% of marathon finishers were under 30 in 2022. <\/p>\n Fitness brands have cashed in on the generation\u2019s fitness craze, with sneaker brand On partnering with 29-year-old actor Zendaya in April 2025. Alo launched an \u201cimmersive wellness experience\u201d and \u201cyoga sanctuary\u201d on Roblox, an online metaverse and gaming platform beloved by Gen Alpha.<\/p>\n For Gen Z, lacing up their sneakers and limbering up may be more popular than shopping at luxury stores. Plus, Hechter\u2019s analysis of Gen Z\u2019s most sought-after items and events also included Alo or Lululemon yoga mats and belonging to a premium gym like Equinox and Solidcore as being similarly prestigious to running a marathon itself.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you’re pulling up to CorePower with, like, an Alo mat or a Lululemon yoga mat, I know you mean business,\u201d she said. \u201cYou could have gotten a $15 yoga mat from TJ Maxx, but you didn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the luxury industry is experiencing a broader slowdown: A June 2025 report from Bain & Co. found a 3% dip in luxury spending in early 2025, as well as the loss of about 50 million customers. Personal luxury goods took the biggest hit, dropping from $435 billion in spending in 2023 to $429 billion in 2024, the category’s first contraction in 15 years, barring the pandemic. Even LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault admitted during a presentation to investors last week the industry as a whole has suffered as a result of geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty.<\/p>\n Gen Z, in particular, also doesn\u2019t appear to have a taste for scooping up big-ticket items. A Vogue Business<\/em> survey from late 2025 found 72% of Gen Z luxury shoppers preferred to own a Walmart \u201cWirkin\u201d dupe than the real-deal Hermes Birkin bag. The outlet attributes the preference for the dupe to the fact the generation may not be able to afford these goods, and as a result, not value them in the way those with established wealth do.<\/p>\n \u201cMoney is a concern,\u201d Ram\u00edrez said.<\/p>\n But the pursuit of running and fitness isn\u2019t just financial, according to Ram\u00edrez. It coincides with Gen Z seeking out not luxury islands, but analog islands of vinyl records, paperback books, and other physical media. Young people are digital natives, but some may feel like their fluency with tech and social media may have come at the expense of real-world experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cYounger generations have an almost longing wistfulness because so little of their life feels tangible,\u201d Pamela Paul, author of 100 Things We\u2019ve Lost To The Internet<\/em> told the Associated Press. \u201cThey are starting to recognize how the internet has changed their lives, and they are trying to revive these in-person, low-tech environments that older generations took for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n Coming of age in a pandemic, the generation is also health-conscious, drinking less alcohol than their millennial counterparts, and slurping up protein-packed drinks from companies like Starbucks. An ABC Fitness report from 2024 found 73% of active Zoomers belong to a health club or gym. That\u2019s compared to 72% of millennials and 54% of Gen Xers.<\/p>\n \u201cI don’t think the [pivot toward] sports is a trend,\u201d Ram\u00edrez said. \u201cIt’s a lifestyle shift, which is much more significant.\u201d<\/p>\n Ram\u00edrez saw these trends reflected in the brands Gen Z has taken interest in, as the generation has not eschewed luxury entirely. While names like Louis Vuitton and Gucci have struggled to capture the interest of young shoppers, brands like Prada have capitalized on Gen Z\u2019s love of little treats and desire for bite-sized luxuries that are more experience-based, according to Ram\u00edrez. Prada opened a cafe at Harrod\u2019s serving lattes dusted with cocoa in the shape of the Miu Miu logo.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s where you see all these luxury houses really create these lifestyle strategies\u2026giving them those little treats\u2026giving them something that they can be excited about and identify with,\u201d Ram\u00edrez said. \u201cI think that is especially important in today’s shaky macro backdrop in general.\u201d <\/p>\n She added that brands who are successful see these smaller items as a way to earn the trust of Gen Z, so that when these young people eventually earn bigger paychecks, they\u2019ll spend their cash on those same brands.<\/p>\n \u201cA brand tapping into consumer interest and understanding, it really is going to create that loyalty for when these consumers do have money: \u2018Hey, that brand really understood me. They have these great items, I’m going to go spend more with them,\u2019\u201d Ramirez concluded. \u201cSo it’s kind of like leaving breadcrumbs.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally featured on Fortune.com<\/p>\nRunning laps around luxury<\/h2>\n
An analog renaissance<\/h2>\n
How luxury is trying to win over Gen Z<\/h2>\n