TikTok's "Cute Winter Boots" Phrase Has a Meaning That Not Everyone Understands Right Away

A lot of United States-based TikTok users have complained about alleged censorship on the app following its revival after its brief ban of sorts that happened on Jan. 18. Because of what some have seen as censored or even blocked content, they've come up with ways to talk about what they want to without being shadow banned themselves, and one way is to use the phrase "cute winter boots."

But what does cute winter boots mean on TikTok? If you search on the app, you'll find that the "search highlights" lay out tips for finding the right pair of cute winter boots. There are even videos that share TikTok Shop links to buy actual fashionable winter boots for women. But the actual meaning behind cute winter boots on TikTok has nothing to do with fashion.

If you've come across one of many TikTok videos where a user is talking about finding the best cute winter boots, but they appear to be talking about those boots in a strange way, you might be wondering what they're actually talking about. It turns out, using the phrase is some users' way of getting around being banned or censored for talking about hot button political or social issues.

Some users use cute winter boots as a topic for discussion as they speak out loud, but show different words written in a notebook or on pieces of paper. Those words could be tips about how to handle incoming political changes, or details about what the user believes is happening locally with ICE agents even. But it has nothing to do with actual boots or where to buy them.

When a TikTok user posted a video about cute winter boots and a cryptic message accompanying it, other users commented to ask about the real meaning behind cute winter boots.

One TikTok user commented that the phrase is "a way to have topical conversations and discourse while [not] being censored and [having] our voice suppressed."

Another user replied, "Things related to consumerism tend to be promoted more and since it's winter that specific product is relevant."

There are some TikTok users who shared in the comments under cute winter boots videos that they believe the trending phrase or hashtag is also in reference to a "boots poem," though it's unclear what poem they are referring to. There is one called "Boots" by English poet Rudyard Kipling. The poem is about soldiers marching, and in this case, it makes sense, given the context of why people are using the phrase and hashtag.

But even if an unnamed poem has nothing to do with the cute winter boots trend on TikTok, it's a way for some users to speak freely about political topics and people in power without being thwarted in the process. The hope is that they can continue to speak in code, in this way, to avoid any TikTok algorithms from burying what they're saying.