Nike Deploys New Midnight Release Rules

August 22, 2012 | 30

It seems that the clock has finally struck 12 on what can now be called the “Cinderella Days” of highly anticipated sneaker releases. No longer will stores be allowed to schedule midnight releases for the popular styles or ones of a higher price point. The upcoming LeBron X+ has brought this issue to the forefront as it bears one of the biggest pricetags to date in sneaker history at $315 retail . According to the Wall Street Journal, the stores and boutiques are required to wait until 8 a.m. to release a shoe and are also required to postpone posting pics and info of said shoe until after the official launch. Given the current state of the culture where price along with the popularity of the brand can influence actions, Nike has enacted the proper statutes to prevent the hordes of collectors and resellers from queuing in front of the store for days—sometimes weeks—on end. We see that this, along with the recently enacted RSVP system is doing a small part in helping keep releases safe and civil for stores and their patrons. What are your thoughts on Nike’s new rule?

Via: Huffington Post

Filed in: Footwear News, News, Sneakerhead News Tags: ,

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  • Since85

    Guess producing more sneakers will never be an option Nike chooses to use…

  • Luke Northrup

    It Doesn’t Change A Thing

  • @jayc803

    this not gone make a change, people will still camp, no matter what time. dudes still gone posting pics and info early all on social networks. how this gone make a change

  • inluvwitkicks

    This is sad. They don’t care about customers They wanna go around the fact that there the reason the game is fckd up. I’m out Im not standing in lines or camping out No More if the shoe is not online or in the stores I’m just not gettin em. They don’t care about customers

  • fatman24

    The only way for nike to prevent resellers is to do restocks or send stores enough in the first place

  • OaEsAy

    After the bred 4s and 13s these rules need not apply to I, for I will be turning my attention to the pairs that get none. Thank you JB, but you have given/are giving me everything ive wanted from your retro line. Any other retro pick ups would be out of pure hype and the way the hype is nowadays, im trying to break necks not break bank.

  • JayR

    Nike sucks they keep putting out stupid rules like its gonna make a difference if you cant camp in front of the store your just gonna wait across the street bc your that much of a lame ass hypebeast. oo yea its sooo cool now you have to wait till 8 so ppl can rush the line in the am rather than midnight….same shit…. this sneaker shit has been over for me thank god im just connected. but for everyone else just do tickets nike…random days..not so hard

  • http://theshoegame.com CenValCali

    Bron got a chip ring & a new price hike….well done triflin @$$ Nike.

  • 23edge

    I’m glad Nike is smart enough to charge $315 on sneakers, since the kids are already paying that to resellers. Steve Jobs was the one who suggested to Mark Parker, to get rid of the crappy stuff. If you don’t like it don’t buy.

  • AJ head

    Well, just ignorant people are going to stay in front of stores until 8am instead of midnight.

  • Tone

    CAMPING STILL IN FULL EFFECT

  • Guess Who?

    Just remembered why I’m not a lebron fan and don’t really buy his shoes, but to tell you the truth its gonna make it harder for ordinary people to get shoes not the ones who are reselling because half of them are connected with employees which many of are scandalous so you really have to know somebody to get a shoe now smh or to you it never released

  • justin

    “…and are also required to postpone posting pics and info of said shoe until after the official launch.”

    What does this mean for a website like Nice Kicks or FL Unlocked? They operate as both a blog and a store. Can they no longer do both?

  • atgbryan

    this solves nothing but not my problem, no shotting/stabbings in my area, nike and jordan are getting way less of my loot than they used to anyway

  • OfficialKickz

    Well Nike STILL has the release calendar and some stores confirm the date…To really SOLVE, they should get rid of the calendar and do random drops…Cant camp if you really dont know when it comes out.

  • Rlnhrd276

    I think they should take a page from cinderella’s book

    If the shoe don’t fit then you leave empty handed.

    Sick of seeing size 9z in there buying a 12 or 13.

    Your size or no size might put a dent in the resale game.

  • Mr. Willson

    ^^^Bam! Right there in my book. BAPE (from what I understand, I could be wrong) used to do the same when you went into their store. You could only buy one pair and it had to be YOUR size. I’m not sure if such is still the case, but I think that could help a bit. Although, I don’t see any shops posting “No Camping” policies. Then again, I don’t know if THAT would help either. *lol*

  • http://www.fistonclothing.com FistonClothing

    Nike better get their acts together before their stocks isn’ worth much… It’s not all their fault, but they don’t really want to fix the problems. Nike strives on chaos and they might act like they care but they really dont. Most of their GR eventually will be worthless because they keep making everything so limited to attract attention but it will come to a point where the real sneaker lovers will leave the game and the resellers won’t buy no GR anymore… It’s a catch 22 for them if they don’t fix it asap. Releasing shoes at random time won’t solve anything because only resellers will have access to it, people with lives won’t be there to check every day smh… Just produce more for now, make some money and make customers happy then some limited here and there. They better learn from Apple and other companies by making more products when their hot items are sold out…

  • bk don

    Until they address their supply and demand model, everything else does’nt matter. Everything else is an effort to not address the real problem. The hype of exclusivity, fuels todays sneaker business. Eliminate that and maybe, I stress maybe, the respect for the consumer will return.

    Its like loving the wrong person, we as consumers need to get our respect back!

    God Bless!

  • http://www.twitter.com/smallzgotkickz Smallzgotkickz

    No system is complete full proof it is implemented to stop the majority & I think that in this case the majority will be fixed.

  • Kicks like messi

    OfficialKickz says:
    August 22, 2012 at 3:19 pm
    Well Nike STILL has the release calendar and some stores confirm the date…To really SOLVE, they should get rid of the calendar and do random drops…Cant camp if you really dont know when it comes out.

    I totally agree with that approach. Well said official kickz.

  • Shoe String

    F**k paying $ 300.00 + plus for some Lebron’s sneakers. He’s a greedy a$$ Mother F**ker. The only charitable work he does is in front of a camera. Real caring people donate and never want there name mentioned. I have never ever bought anything attached or associated with Lebron. Much love to KD for keeping prices down on his signature sneakers. KD really gets the people. Im tired of all these rules and procedures Nike has. Just release more kicks and its problem solved. I’m getting real tired of sneaker game and don’t like where its heading. If there’s a problem getting the Bred 4’s or the Bred 11’s like the Concord release that I still haven’t got after suffering several days of winter hell last year then I’m not buying Nike/JB products anymore. Real talk Nike!.

  • Sek

    This doesn’t make a difference. How bout just releasing em when the shipment arrives and avoid the riots. If niketown has 1900 pairs in total (infant-adult) of a popular style of Js that’s a GR I doubt they’ll sell out in minutes if they are just put out. Nike needs to re think there strategy it’ll still make money since word of mouth gets around.

  • bullie71

    Nike isn’t serious about keeping shit civil and “fair”! If they were, they would start shaking down douchebag re-sellers who end up with shoes weeks early, or posted all over Facebook, etc., with stacks and stacks of shoes the day of the release. Re-sellers are what’s causing all of this mess. When stores get cut off from getting drops, and people get fired for selling early on the “homie hookup”, then things will start to change.

  • Anthony

    I have yet to complete a single RSVP for a release. That means the system is a failure. Any regular customer should have a fair shot at buying shoe. Why should we have to jump through hoops to give Nike my money??

  • http://jayoldpeachtree@twitter.com JayOldPeach.i7

    Whatever man… fkn whatever…

  • Mike Wizkowski

    They need to initiate a pre-order system or a monthly membership that grants you access to one pair of Jordan per release I’m tired of seeing dudes with boatloads of kicks in their picks reselling at retarded price points.

  • Lem

    Unfortunately, this will do little to change the climate of the shoe game. Store managers will always put money over the consumer and will find a way to get the shoes out for their “hookup” customers to resell at exorbitant prices.

    Nike is simply playing Makaveli. Simply giving the appearance of doing something to stop the senseless shenanigans when actually it’s just smoke and mirrors.

    There are many solutions that would solve the problem.
    1) Don’t disclose release dates for popular models. Just release them.
    2) Limit the amount of shoes that a person can buy in store. If it can be done online it can be done in store.
    3) Make more of the product.
    4) Punish stores that don’t follow the rules.

  • Grind305

    I have been buying Nike products since the 80’s….with everything thats going on now with the resellers and these extremely high ass prices Im developing a love/hate relationship…”love” for the style of shoes and memories i have but “hate” for the way they conduct business….for most of my high school years I only wore Iversons/Reebok…I never dealt with the Hype of “needing” to have a pair of new Jordans on the first day of school,I started my own trend while others followed,wich is why I’m happy Reebok has dicided to re-release their old kicks from back in the day,The Question,Answer,Kamikaze etc.The Prices are still the same($100 mark)All Im saying is Nike is like Kim Kardashian…Fine ass hell,big titties,fat ass,sucks good dick but wants you to spend all of your hard earned money on her….IF IT WASNT FOR US THERE WOULDNT BE A NIKE/JORDAN…Its time to stand up fight for what you believe in people…KILL THE HYPE BEAST!!!

  • Flatbush_Zone

    Looks like I need to get a move on opening up my own sneaker store, and changing my last name to “Lee”, “Chang”, “Akmed”, or “Boom Shock-ah-lah-kah”……….

    You hear the door chim klink klinkling. There you are entering. You look around. You spot the newest released J’s, and Lebron’s behind the register, and you ask “How much for them kicks?”…. My salesmens begins ROTFL before I can answer………

    $475+Taxs

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