John Kim 
In preparation of today’s in-store release of the Supreme Foamposites, hordes of sneakerheads and brand loyalists gathered at the store locations in New York and Los Angeles with hopes of acquiring a pair in person. The mayhem at the NYC location forced the NYPD the cancel the in-store release in New York due to safety concerns, and the thousands that showed up were forced to go home and wait for the online release. The events that unfolded are a reminder that Nike’s efforts to keep these types of releases strictly digital have produced positive results, especially with the higher frequency of high profile items. However not everything can be done through an RSVP or Twitter Link Only system, and there was a time when chaos on release dates was to be expected.
First things first – campouts and rowdy behavior at sneaker releases go back over a decade. This isn’t something to be shocked at, with Foamposites being wildly popular and Supreme being the “it” label for the moment. What went down yesterday only reflects events of the past, and the occurrences we’ve noted here focus on significant and notable campouts/releases and the overall enculturation of the sneaker community, not on isolated acts of violence that unfortunately happen as well. Did you experience any of these sneaker releases first-hand? Do you have a story to tell that might surpass these in terms of significance to this sub-culture? Check out this feature below and let us know what you think in the Comments area below.
PIGEONS ARE A NUISANCE
One of the most chaotic sneaker releases ever went down in New York City (big surprise) at Jeff Staple’s Lower East Side shop called The Reed Space. Working together with Nike SB, Jeff created the Nike SB Dunk Low “Pigeon” as a tribute to his home city of NYC. Only a handful of pairs were available (just twenty), yet hundreds showed up with the hopes of copping these exclusive sneakers. Cops arrived, news media gave it attention, and the legend of the Pigeon was born.
I BELIEVE I CAN WRECK A FOOT LOCKER
2009’s Air Jordan XI “Space Jam” release started the unofficial trend of December AJ11 releases. This first one didn’t pass quietly, as campouts formed outside every store that came to pick up a pair. As expected, mayhem ensued, and one particular Foot Locker down South got the brunt of the aggression as it was the victim of overzealous shopper attitude. Our report of this incident made its rounds through Foot Locker corporate email!
THE GALAXY IMPODES IN ORLANDO
The 2012 All-Star Weekend was a pivotal moment in the footwear industry. It compelled Nike to enforce some new rules regarding release procedures in an effort to reduce late-night chaos around sneaker retailers. This release down South is a perfect example of how things can go wrong: police had to divert the crowd to an adjacent parking lot, but one troublemaker made an inexplicable dash to the mall doors causing a mass horde to bum-rush the main entrance.
BANNED FROM THE OUTLETS
The Air Jordan 1 “Banned” was one of quirkiest sneaker releases in history. Nike chose to dropship the shoes exclusively at its Factory Stores instead of retail spots, and news of those details quickly spread through social media. Needless to say, outlet mall security guards were in for a surprise when hundreds of people showed up at the discount stores – just check out this video detailing a zombie apocalypse-like series of events at a Nike Factory Store in Houston, TX.
PARRA x PATTA x PITIFUL
2010’s release of the Parra x Patta x Nike Air Max 1 was deemed as the best sneaker release of the year. It wasn’t all gravy though; 21 Mercer was the only spot in the U.S. that released the shoes, which inevitably led to a mob waiting impatiently at the downtown NSW storefront. It ended up being an raffle release, meaning getting a pair was through luck. However, plenty of consumers were disgruntled as several notable individuals apparently got their pairs handed to them, only furthering 21 Mercer’s reputation of having shady release procedures. Things have changed for the better since then, but the Parra x Patta release was a pure example of “it’s about who you know”.
Photo: vagrant
THE FUTURE LEAVES US TEARY-EYED
The Jordan Future release at Footaction’s Flight 23 got so unruly that NYPD officers were forced to us pepper spray to assist with crowd control. Truth be told, getting maced or receiving any sort of physical abuse is never worth a pair of Jays.
SUPREMELY DISAPPOINTED
Last night’s mayhem in SoHo forced the NYPD to cancel the in-store release for the Supreme Foamposites. Events like these are a reminder that Nike’s efforts to reduce these types of events has made for a safer sneaker-buying experience.
