John Kim The nature of sneaker releases have vastly changed in an effort to adapt to rising demand. The traditional method of waiting on a physical queue has been largely replaced by raffle/lottery procedures through social media, giving retailers an insanely effective marketing tool to grow Instagram accounts exponentially and in turn grow their business. While that method doesn’t appear to be disappearing anytime soon, brands are attempting to turn these surprise drops into social experiments that may largely shape the way we buy sneakers. Nike brought this idea to light with SNKRS Stash, a special feature on their Nike SNKRS App that unlocked limited edition product in a select region. The App would reveal a secret location, and those who were literally in the right place at the right time had the opportunity to buy a pair of shoes. Nike did it again during All-Star Weekend, releasing the Cortez Kenny II exclusively at their Makers HQ space using the Nike SNKRS Pass option.
Jordan Brand brought this idea to social media by collaboration with Snapchat and e-commerce platform Shopify. On Sunday, right as the All-Star Game was tipping off, “Snapcodes” were displayed at 935 Julian St. in Los Angeles that offered fans the opportunity to purchase the Air Jordan 3 “Tinker”, a shoe that won’t hit retailers until late March. Why go through the effort of organizing a launch of this style when they could’ve easily released them online? Because the goal isn’t to sell shoes. The end game is to engage with the community, revive the experiential sneaker release, and market directly to a core consumer group using one of the most popular social media apps on the market. While many will be happy to have purchased such a coveted pair of sneakers, the lasting memory of the experience is priceless.
Staying competitive in the sneaker industry is as much about creating great product as it is communicating with consumers. Brands must continue to innovate new ways to connect with people, but it’s clear that there is a real opportunity to bridge the gap between the digital and physical. This past weekend’s launch by Jordan was a prime example of what may be a regular occurrence in sneakers and commerce in general, and as commerce on social media continues to evolve, we’ll have to wait and see which brands choose to place an emphasis on this.
