They were once the accessory of choice for hikers, paupers and pupils. No adult with even vague ambitions of style would be caught dead with one. But backpacks have hitchhiked into greater acceptance. Young people are now opting for them over briefcases and tote bags. Sales in America rose to a new high in 2022, as workers returned to the office after covid, according to Circana, a research firm.
“Twenty years ago, you couldn’t wear a backpack into work,” says Taylor Welden, creative director at Carryology, a platform for designers and writers who are enthusiastic about bags. That has changed. Andy Fallshaw, co-founder of Carryology and Bellroy, a bagmaker, compares backpacks to sneakers. Once a niche product worn by athletes, sneakers have snuck into popular culture and now strut down pavements and even catwalks. A growing community of “bagheads” take to online forums and social media to gush about strapping straps and zippy zips.
What changed? Workplaces have become more casual; at the same time backpacks are being designed to look more fashionable. Materials such as waxed canvas and leather offer backpacks a more elevated air than rucksacks of yore. Airlines’ baggage fees may have also given backpacks a bump: faced with higher prices for checking suitcases, people are anxious to carry more on board with them, and lugging weight on one’s back is easier than on a single shoulder. Longer commutes into the office—after some opted to move farther out of cities during covid—have also converted people into daily “backpackers”.
Humans have schlepped stuff on their backs for millennia. Ötzi, a mummified “iceman” who lived some 5,300 years ago, is thought to have hauled around a wooden backpack before meeting his chilly demise in the Alps. Long used during war, including the Battle of Waterloo, backpacks evolved in the early 20th century, when an American mountaineer added zips, replacing heavy straps and buckles. In the 1960s Murray McCory and Jan Lewis founded JanSport, designing compartments instead of top-loading bags.
A fresh generation of boutique bagmakers is thriving and experimenting with new, durable fabrics. Packolab, based in Ukraine, sells backpacks that cost around $400; they are so popular that the firm has implemented a lottery system to manage demand. Fashion brands, from Chanel to Saint Laurent, have taken notice, too. In 2023 Dior partnered with Mystery Ranch, a bag designer in Montana best known for making kit for firefighters, hunters and soldiers, to create a limited-edition backpack with a $4,000 price tag. Yeti, an outdoor-products firm, acquired Mystery Ranch last year. Even established bagmakers are following the pack. ■
For more on the latest books, films, TV shows, albums and controversies, sign up to Plot Twist, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter