Hacky Sack Makes a Surprise Comeback

By Stephanie Brooks 17/07/2026 3 min read 7 views

Jonathan Berkowitz, a toy-industry veteran and CEO of PlayMonster, expected a lot of success after working with Wham-O to relaunch Hacky Sack in February. The small, round bags became the new toy for today’s teens.

Young people began buying the toys, officially called footbags, in droves as the school year wound down and the weather heated up.

Kids and teenagers kicked around the products at recess and at the park. They uploaded viral videos of themselves or classmates doing tricks on social media.

Local toy stores sold out of inventory; other shops began limiting daily purchases. Many people use the term hacky sack as a shorthand for the product category.

One morning, in late May, Berkowitz logged onto his computer and was shocked by what he saw. Berkowitz said, “I remember looking at Google Trends and seeing ‘hacky sacks’ just take off. It just started to explode.”

PlayMonster sold out of its branded Hacky Sacks online at the end of May, then began air-freighting in extra inventory as fast as it could.

Berkowitz said they were at low stock levels for probably eight weeks. PlayMonster knew it needed to make a move and immediately jumped into action.

The week after Berkowitz looked at Google Trends, PlayMonster got to work on a new product line of Hacky Sacks, including a light-up version and a version that audibly counts how many times it’s been kicked around.

PlayMonster executives jumped on a plane to China to kickstart the manufacturing process. Normally, Hacky Sacks are on a yearly development cycle; that was soon condensed into 90 days.

Berkowitz said they are getting the products to market in record time. They knew they needed a lot more innovation to really capitalize on the trend and give consumers what they wanted.

Today, PlayMonster is developing about 10 new Hacky Sack styles. The line will roll out in late July through September and be branded as part of a larger “Hack to School” campaign, which may appeal to students looking for back to school shopping items.

The history of the footbag goes back more than 50 years to 1972, when two friends — Mike Marshall and John Stalberger — kicked around a handmade beanbag in an Oregon basement.

The first packaged and branded Hacky Sacks hit stores in 1977. The toys enjoyed mainstream popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a staple at the playground and the parking lot and earning a following among skaters and punk kids.

But then, the Hacky Sack — and footbags, in general — faded from view as other toys and sports came onto the scene. Berkowitz saw an opportunity to bring the product back.

PlayMonster is now betting on social media to market the product.

The brand also collaborates on social-media posts with footbag players, including juggler and mime That’s Ridiculous Nicholas.

Even today, from April 15 to July 15, Google searches for “hacky sack” in the U.S. are up 1,700% year over year.

PlayMonster is betting that the trend will continue, with plans to make new products that appeal to avid Hacky Sack players. They are also focusing on tournaments and hope to play a larger role in high school leagues.

Tournaments are held regionally, nationally and globally, with official rules and guidelines published by the International Footbag Players’ Association. Recently, the 44th Annual East Coast Footbag Championships took place in Brooklyn.

PlayMonster views Hacky Sacks as key items in the sports industry. Sports tend to stay popular longer, “because there’s the social aspect of the play that hooks you in,” Berkowitz said.

Making new products that appeal to avid Hacky Sack players will be key. Berkowitz said, “We really believe, for years to come, that Hacky Sack is going to be an amazing sport.”