The tea on why the Payless Prank is actually brilliant

Payless (yes, as in the discount shoe store typically in malls or shopping centers) has just become the troll hero of the modern era.

In order to prove shoppers will pay top dollar just for a high-end label, the brand hired an ad agency who fabricated “Palessi”, a fake boutique specializing in shoes.

Then they invited a group of the West Coast’s top influencers to shop the brand’s new styles. The new styles they were purchasing? Just $20-$40 kicks from Payless.

Check out the experiment below for full context.

About 60 fashion influencers came to the Palessi Boutique opening, which following one Facebook ad, was said to have a waiting list of a few thousand people, which was set up at a luxury mall in Los Angeles. Many influencers actually marveled at the quality of “Palessi” shoes, describing the Payless pairs as, “Just stunning”, “Sophisticated.”, and “Elegant”. “I can tell it was made with high-quality material.”, one influencer said lovingly holding a faux leather sneaker.