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Yeezys: Thousands queue through night for Kanye West trainers | Yeezys: Thousands queue through night for Kanye West trainers |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Thousands of people queued for hours to get their hands on trainers designed by rapper Kanye West. | Thousands of people queued for hours to get their hands on trainers designed by rapper Kanye West. |
Shoppers were waiting outside stores from midnight to grab a pair of Adidas Yeezy Boost 350s. | Shoppers were waiting outside stores from midnight to grab a pair of Adidas Yeezy Boost 350s. |
Within minutes of their release at 09:30 BST, the £180 shoes were being resold online for double the price. | Within minutes of their release at 09:30 BST, the £180 shoes were being resold online for double the price. |
Security guards were brought in to manage the queues in Birmingham and websites including Foot Locker and JD Sports crashed due to demand. | |
Marketing professor Heiner Evanschitzky said the mix of celebrity, exclusivity and "a certain clientele really liking the experience of queuing with like-minded people" was behind the frenzy. | |
In Birmingham, long lines snaked outside of the Size shoe shop, on Lower Temple Street. | In Birmingham, long lines snaked outside of the Size shoe shop, on Lower Temple Street. |
One man in the queue told the BBC he had already been offered £300 by a friend who could not get to the store. | One man in the queue told the BBC he had already been offered £300 by a friend who could not get to the store. |
Similarly long queues were seen outside Foot Locker in The Bullring, with a security guard urging people not to rush when the doors opened. | |
Long lines were also reported outside Foot Locker in Oxford Street and Size in Carnaby Street, London, and in Leeds, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin. | |
Professor Evanschitzky, from Aston Business School, said that while the limited nature of the stock and celebrity branding had an impact on sales, people sometimes queued for the experience. | |
"We have found in studies, people who go out shopping to have an experience, the product is conduit for the experience," he said. | |
"A certain clientele really like the experience of queuing with like-minded people, talking about fashion. | |
"In a broader sense, retailers are able to choreograph product launches in such a way to get people out there." | |
Consumer psychologist Kate Nightingale added that the demand was down to the trainers' exclusivity and that they made shoppers feel "special". | |
Feeling old? Here's your guide to Yeezys | Feeling old? Here's your guide to Yeezys |
The trainers are designed by rapper Kanye West in collaboration with Adidas and launched in 2015. | The trainers are designed by rapper Kanye West in collaboration with Adidas and launched in 2015. |
A rare pair can cost thousands of pounds and they are one of the most sought-after trainers in the world. | A rare pair can cost thousands of pounds and they are one of the most sought-after trainers in the world. |
They are usually only released on certain dates at specifically chosen locations. | They are usually only released on certain dates at specifically chosen locations. |
JD Sports said, since their inception, the Boost line had continually sold out instantly. | JD Sports said, since their inception, the Boost line had continually sold out instantly. |
Shopper Chris Shaw said: "The demand in Glasgow was crazy. Arrived at 04:00 to queue and never got any. | Shopper Chris Shaw said: "The demand in Glasgow was crazy. Arrived at 04:00 to queue and never got any. |
"Only people that got them this morning were the ones that slept overnight. Then they walked down the queue trying to sell for three times the amount." | "Only people that got them this morning were the ones that slept overnight. Then they walked down the queue trying to sell for three times the amount." |
Sellers on eBay had pairs of the trainers listed for up to £480 within an hour of their official launch. | Sellers on eBay had pairs of the trainers listed for up to £480 within an hour of their official launch. |
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |