This morning, the Supreme x Nike Foamposite capsule collection was supposed to drop. But it didn't because people are fucking insane and the NYPD also doesn't know how to handle a crowd without violence.
Instead, the shoes, jersey and shorts dropped online and, naturally, sold out instantly. And that sucks sucks because it puts the shoes in the hands of people with quick fingers (or bots), rather than those actually willing to put in the time to get something they want. Of course, a lot of the people outside Supreme yesterday were there as re-sellers, but if they're willing to wait in a line for 24 hours to cop a pair and turn a profit, then who am I, let alone the NYPD, to stop them?
Why is it that NYC's finest essentially treat these situations like a full-blown riot? Is approaching the issue with some basic level of respect an impossibility? Sure, shit can get out hand and these types of lines can bring out the worst in people, but having experienced these lineups firsthand several times, I can't help but wonder if the yelling, barricades and mace are really all that necessary? This is certainly indicative of a larger issue with the way police treat citizens in chaotic instances, conveniently leaning on "public safety" as an out. There has to be a better way.
Or maybe, just maybe, this whole situation is simply another indication of the absolute fever pitch we've reached in terms of sneaker releases and clothing hype. We're talking about a fucking sneaker here and, in this case, a pretty expensive one at that. Are you truly willing to punch someone in the name of capitalism? Listen, I'm not sure what the solution is, whether it be raffles, lotteries or simply Supreme and Nike making more sneakers, but it seems to me that messes like these are preventable, even if at the end of the day it likely won't change brand behavior. As the saying goes, "Any press is good press," and everyone involved here are getting a hell of a lot of that right about now.
