Air Jordan release sparks stampedes at stores across US

[Timbuk2]

Rowdy scenes have broken out at stores across the US as shoppers jostled to lay their hands on Nike's new shoe.

There was disorder from California to Georgia as shoppers vied to buy a retro version of a classic Air Jordan model.

A new pair costs about $180 (£115), but they are already being listed on eBay for as much as $605.

The ugly scenes recalled the violence that broke out in the early 1990s on streets across America as the shoes became popular targets for thieves.

In the early hours of Friday, police used pepper spray on about 20 customers who started fighting at a mall in suburban Seattle, Washington state, as they waited in line to buy the black-and-white Air Jordan 11 Retro Concords.

One man was arrested for allegedly punching a police officer.

"He did not get his shoes. He went to jail," Officer Mike Murphy said.

He added: "It was not a nice, orderly group of shoppers. There were a lot of hostile and disorderly people."

In other disturbances:

• At least four people were arrested after customers broke down a door at a store selling the shoes in Lithonia, Georgia
• There was an attempted robbery on a victim who was mistakenly believed to have just bought the shoes in Stockton, California
• About 100 shoppers forced their way into a shopping centre in Taylor, Michigan
• A gunshot rang out as shoppers queued in Richmond, California, although no injuries were reported
• Disorder was also reported in Charlotte, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Omaha, Nebraska

A spokesperson for Nike was not immediately available to comment.

The original Air Jordan created a subculture of collectors who rarely wore the sneaker but were willing to wait hours to buy the latest pair.

They're just shoes, dawg.

[GGT]

I've never been able to figure out the connection between shoes and social status in modern times. Other than being barefoot and pregnant. I know it's there, and very real....since footwear has generally been considered an expensive item, as kids need a new pair every few months as their feet grow. Or for women who match their shoes to a dress or handbag, and buy often. Or Italian shoes being considered the standard of quality.

It's even referenced in movies (like Silence of the Lambs, when Hannibal Lector notices Clarice's second rate shoes are a better reflection of her background than her first-rate education). Maybe getting into brawls over shoes just confirms that footwear is, indeed, a defining social class issue. I dunno. It's strange cultural stuff.

[Catgrrl]

Ugh. Humans. Gotta spend that $180 on a pair of shoes but complain about paying for milk for the kids. Hmmm.....

EDIT: They don't even look that great. I liked some of the other Air Jordan models but this one is so bulky and ugly, makes your feet look unnaturally huge. Blech. I'll stick to my $40 Avias.

[Lewkowski]

I sure hope none of those people getting the shoes are on government assistance...

[Nessus]

I sure hope none of those people getting the shoes are on government assistance...

Oh look, the theology of wealth, what a fucking novelty around these here parts