Posted on February 7, 2012

Maryland Mall Evacuated & Locked Down After Sneaker Fight

CBS Baltimore, February 6, 2012

{snip}

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.

{snip}

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.

{snip}