Stanley Cups – I never thought I would live to see yet another thermos/water bottle fad in my lifetime. After Yeti overtook the market in what feels like decades ago, and Hydroflask is following suit, we have ourselves another overhyped, overbought, and borderline pointless product. As far as insulation, Yeti is far superior. If I’m going to spend that kind of money on something to hold my water, it’s going to be a Yeti without a doubt. Once again we as a society are buying into the trends associated with branding rather than the efficacy and usefulness of the product. I am so tired of hearing about these cups. The straw is constantly for germs to meander their way into your water, and the handle is poorly designed being so far up the cup there isn’t really any point in using it. The Stanley slogan should be as follows: Overhyped, overrated — Stanley cup. 

Birkenstocks and Crocs – I never want to see anyone walking around in socks and sandals – it’s a terrible look and Birkenstocks have infected the public with this idea that it is acceptable to wear. Crocs are ugly, and I am not afraid to say it. I understand that some people enjoy putting little pins in the holes with simple and cute designs to show off their personality, but in all honesty the pins make the shoe look clunky and overall uglier. They aren’t practical and they are uncomfortable and I think that the whole idea around them is corny. Both have made their way into my own home with my brother dawning both Birkenstocks and Crocs.

Starbucks grilled cheese – Personally I love grilled cheese sandwiches. A good grilled and tomato soup is perfect for a rainy day meal, and an incredible remedy for a cold. I was very disappointed when I looked to Starbucks for help for that very thing and was left wanting something more. The grilled cheese was chewy and somehow hard at the same time, and the undercooked cheese left so much to be desired. People seem to love these things, but it would save you time and money to just make a grilled cheese on your own. 

Shade changing glasses – As a glasses wearer I can say with one hundred percent certainty that adjusting lenses is horrible. They don’t look at all how they should, and for those of us that enjoy sunglasses for style as well as utility they are not what we need. When I used to wear transition lenses, every single time I would have to take a family photo, the glasses came off because I looked ridiculous in the outdoors. The average lenses cost between $75 and $400 which could easily be replaced for that same price with real sunglasses that don’t look dorky and clunky. 

Takis – I would go as far as to say that Takis are downright bad. The flavor is abysmal, and not enough to make up for the failure of a kick that the heat provides. It feels like they focus on making the chips spicier rather than flavorful, and in the end they fail at doing both. I don’t have anything else to say other than they’re just bad – plain and simple bad, and I don’t know how people eat them. 

Nike Panda Dunks – I think of the products on this list the Panda Dunks are the least overhyped, but enough people wear them that I think they get too much credit. Don’t get me wrong, they are nice shoes, but when every single person wears them, and when I can’t go one day without reaching double digits for the amount of them I see, I can’t help but feel they are overhyped. There is nothing special about them which I suppose is its draw, but just like the Stanley cup, when everyone uses them they lose their charm, and start to become not worth the cost.