The store had more anxious customers than they had sneakers for sale—and that was a recipe for trouble.
Valley Mall in Hagerstown is peaceful now, but a sneaker, Nike’s new Foam tennis shoe, caused near-riot conditions inside the mall on Saturday, like a melee at another mall in December after Nike released a popular pair of Air Jordans.
“Just a fight going on down there at Foot Locker. Arguments; someone said that there was knives pulled,” said mall employee Cassandra Jenkins.
About a dozen officers responded and moved all customers outside. They say the problem was a classic dilemma: supply and demand. There were 150 customers, but only 90 pairs of shoes for sale. They sold out in minutes.
According to reports, the Nike Foam sneakers sell for more than $200 at places like Foot Locker, but they’re so popular they can double in price, selling for as much as $500 on the Internet.