Nike Shoe Riot Forces 100 Police to Drive Away Shoppers
More than 100 riot police have been used to break up a crowd of shoppers waiting outside a Florida mall desperate to get their hands on a limited edition Nike basketball shoe.
Authorities have confirmed the disturbance but added that there were no arrests made, according to The Associated Press.
The incident took place as hundreds of hardcore Nike fans packed the mall parking lot; all hoping to purchase the new $220 limited edition Nike release, which has been timed to come out during the NBA All-Star Game in Orlando. The new shoes being released glow in the dark.
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Nike has previously caused crowd trouble through its new releases. In December there were numerous incidents reported when Nike also launched a new basketball show.
It has been reported that on this occasion the crowd was asked to wait on the other side of the street as the mall closed, according to the Orlando Sentinel. However, the crowd instead charged toward the Foot Locker store in the mall.
As the surge came, police formed a line to drive the crowd back, and had to use shields to push the overly excited Nike fans away.
Amanda Charles, 20, who traveled to the mall for more than two hours from Jacksonville with her friends to try and get a pair of the shoes said, according to the Sentinel: "I saw hundreds of people running toward me. I thought I was going to get trampled.
