RIOTS OVER NIKE FOAMPOSITE ONE “GALAXY” RELEASE; SHOES GO FOR $70K
As predicted, the hype machine was fueled by media to the point of overreaction by police forces at the “Galaxy” release in Orlando, and what ensued was another sneaker “riot.” With shielded task forces, pepper spray, and hundreds of swarming sneakerheads, the mall last night made for quite a scene.
What authorities and retailers fail to understand on a regular basis is that sneaker fanatics want anything but problems. What they are looking for is the shoes, in the simplest and safest fashion that they can achieve them. That’s why campouts happen in the first place: because they are safe and easy.
But the Florida Mall wasn’t letting people camp out, and the result was the insanity that’s making so many headlines today. Mike Miscannon of Clash of the Customizers fame had this to say:
the people that are really to blame here are the mall security and the store themselves for their complete neglegence and utter lack of preparation for this release of shoes… I’ve been to so many releases over the last 15 years, but NEVER IN MY LIFE have I ever seen anything like tonight
There will come a day when retailers realize the hype of certain product releases and take preventative measures against the confusion caused on a consistent basis. They will realize that it is not the fans that cause these problems, but rather a lack of preparation. And with a pair of shoes that represents the All-Star game in the All-Star city, with a design that mimics the logo of the city’s team and nods toward the space program of the state, on one of the most popular shoe models out, it’s no wonder there was a ton of hype for these shoes.
The shoe release at the Florida Mall gave an “I was there” feeling to everyone hoping to cop, and with stories of the mall pulling every “galaxy”-related shoe on the premises, you can see why further stories of the shoes fetching $70,000 on eBay are emerging.
