another nike shoe riot

[Lady Cop]

these people are insane right?

we never behaved like this to get our Dan'l Boone coonskin caps.

Orlando Sentinel
February 24, 2012
The launch of an expensive new basketball shoe — timed to Orlando's hosting of the NBA All-Star Game — triggered a melee Thursday night at Florida Mall that was quelled by deputies in riot gear.

The wild scene erupted about 9:45 p.m. as hundreds of people packed the mall's parking lot, hoping to buy the new shoe at midnight. As the crowd grew, a large contingent of Orange County deputy sheriffs arrived, braced for problems.

Similar shoe releases have caused violence at shoe stores across the country, but no one was hurt or arrested at Florida Mall, the Sheriff's Office said.

Witnesses told the Orlando Sentinel that the crowd was asked to wait across the street when the mall closed at 9 p.m., but one person made a mad dash toward the Foot Locker where the shoes were to go on sale, and hundreds followed.

"I saw hundreds of people running toward me. I thought I was going to get trampled," said Amanda Charles, 20, who was among a group of a half-dozen friends who drove from Jacksonville to try to buy the glow-in-the-dark Nikes.

Witnesses said more deputies quickly arrived, decked out in riot gear and fortified by still more deputies on horseback, on motorcycles and in patrol cars. A helicopter with a spotlight hovered overhead.

"We were afraid of the cops and the horses," said Mario Torres, 22, of Orlando.

The deputies formed a line and used shields to push back the crowd, witnesses said. They said the deputies threatened to use pepper spray but did not.

"It was pandemonium," said Rico Gomez, 23, who flew to Orlando to New Haven with friends just to buy the new Nikes.

More than 100 law-enforcement officers from the Sheriff's Office, the Orlando Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol responded to the mall and were continuing to disperse the crowd as of midnight. People continued to mill about, and some cars remained in the lot after the free-for-all as many people were hoping the sale would go on as planned.

"Florida Mall is closed," a deputy driving around the perimeter of the mall announced on a loudspeaker. "Please leave the premises. This is an unlawful gathering. There is no shoe release tonight."

The shoe release was to cap a day of events at House of Hoops by Foot Locker, where a makeshift basketball court was set up and NBA players are signing autographs through the weekend. Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and the Orlando Magic AirTran Flight Crew were on Thursday's schedule.

Nike's website says the shoes that were to go on sale were part of the Nike All-Star collection, with a galactic theme inspired by space exploration. Their release is designed as a nod to Orlando and Florida's space industry.

Several people said they coveted the $220, limited-edition shoes for their resale value, which some estimated at up to 10 times or more than the retail price.

"It's all about the swag," Gomez said.

















ugly-ass shoe glows in the dark. that's good, the police can see them running.

[Lady Cop]

Nike this morning canceled its All-Star shoe release after Thursday night's near riot at Orlando's Florida Mall, prompting disbelief among sometimes-agitated shoe collectors and investors who traveled from across the country to buy the limited-edition Nike Galaxy Foamposite.

A woman who was waiting in line to get into Foot Locker was arrested this morning for fighting and resisting deputies.

"Our priority is the safety of the community," Nike said in a statement.

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office are on scene now for crowd control.

Would-be buyers who are still hanging out in the mall parking lot said they are not leaving because they don't believe Nike's statement. They say they are going to call Nike's bluff because they think the $220 shoes really will go on sale this morning at Foot Locker.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Maybe the companies like Nike should stop pandering to the hood rats

[LuciferLynn]

I hear that. How is it that they can afford $220 shoes and if I want a pair of Nikes, I need to save money?

[Cracker]

ugly-ass shoe glows in the dark. that's good, the police can see them running.

Then they can stick them to the wall... (You people know what comes next but you pretend you don't. See, you are racist. I just don't hide it.)

Those shoes are gender-bending, for sure. If Nike made My Pretty Pony shoes and sold them for $500, they would sell out instantly.

Dick, Can we talk about setting up a business to sell ugly ass shoes to black people who can't afford them? We can take food stamps. We will make millions.

[Lady Cop]

get ready for sharpton!

Critics are fit to be tied over footwear giant Adidas' latest sneakers, which feature what looks like shackles attached to them.

The JS Roundhouse Mids, which are due to be released in August, were previewed on the Adidas Originals Facebook page in a photo posted on June 14. Although the German company insists the design has nothing to do with slavery, its own promotional material isn't likely to quell criticism.

“Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles?”
- Tagline for Adidas' new sneaker

Many users left comments on the page’s bulletin board ripping the day-glo orange shackles, saying they are particularly offensive to African-Americans because they evoke imagery of slavery and prisoners on the chain gang.

[JsMom]

WTF....Those are ugly as hell.

[Cheyne]

Nasty, ugly shoes. $200? Where are the people who are willing to pay that in this economy?

[username]

I was curious as to whether those first shoes were ever released. You can get them on ebay, "buy it now", for a mere $2,499.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/23078086323...s&var=sbar

[Lady Cop]

Nasty, ugly shoes. $200? Where are the people who are willing to pay that in this economy?

i HAD to all through my son's HS and college...because of his damn size 15 feet!


"buy it now", for a mere $2,499.

HOLY SHIT!

[SIXFOOTERsez]

Porch monkeys will buy anything and act like animals, then they bitch about Adidas addressing their roots

[crash]

Porch monkeys...hahahahahahaha... I laugh every time.

Honestly, I looked at that horrid pair of purple shoes and before I even read a line of text "Nigger boots" went through my mind.

[Maggot]

I guess nobody ever saw "Cool hand Luke"

[SIXFOOTERsez]

He didn't have nigger boots did he?

[cladking]

[b][color=#FFDAB9]these people are insane right?

we never behaved like this to get our Dan'l Boone coonskin caps. [img]

Yes. And shoe collectors might be insane as well.

You're really dating yourself there too.

[Lady Cop]

[color=#FFDAB9]these people are insane right?

we never behaved like this to get our Dan'l Boone coonskin caps. [img]

Yes. And shoe collectors might be insane as well.

You're really dating yourself there too.

nononono i saw that on Wonder Years.

[Lady Cop]

WHERE ARE OUR PRIORITIES?? i promise you kids will be killed over this shit. to have their shoes stolen. wise up parents!! don't buy them!
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Nike is preparing to test the limits of sneakers fan's patience this fall - as they launch their most expensive shoes ever but put a halt to their famous midnight launches.

At $315 the LeBron X's will be Nike's priciest sneakers to date after the Oregon based firm hiked their costs by five to ten percent to reflect increased production costs and a decline in profits.

And on top of the financial demand made to their devotees, Nike will no longer sanction midnight launches THANKFULLY! for their new line after recent outbreaks of violence at malls and Nike stores amongst those who have camped for days at a time to get their hands on the sneakers first.

Known for their superstar endorsed products such as Air Jordan's, the new LeBron X's will come complete with motion sensors to measure exactly how high the wearer jumps. OH WELL EVERYONE NEEDS THAT OPTION.