KICKING OFF
Brawls break out across the world at release of new Pharrell x adidas NMD designed to ‘bring peace and togetherness’
Collector's edition trainers cost £150 but can go for 12 times that on eBay
VIOLENCE has erupted among punters trying to get their hands on new Adidas trainers designed by singer Pharrell Williams to bring "peace and togetherness" to the world.
Videos have emerged of brawls outside sports shops after "sneakerheads" who had queued for up to 40 hours went toe-to-toe with hired thugs who jumped the line.
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Many of the bust-ups were between genuine trainer collectors and gangs of queue-skipping bullies recruited by those out to make a quick profit.
The limited edition trainers retail for around £150 but are being sold for up to £2,000 on ebay and other resale sites.
Things got so bad in New York, that the sportswear giant suspended the sale of the long-awaited Pharrell x adidas NMD Hu Trail sneakers or "kicks".
The flashpoints were particularly ironic as the concept behind the “Human Race” NMD range is to promote peace and togetherness on the planet.
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And the violence wasn't limited the US as similar flare-ups were also reported in the UK and Malaysia.
In London, one youngster was said to have been beaten with a skateboard as he queued to get his hands on a pair.
Footage also merged of a man getting his nose broken as he was attacked outside an Adidas supplier in Kuala Lumpur.
The video - originally posted on Reddit - was captioned: “This morning around 2am, my friend went to queue for the newly released NMD Human Race, he waited until 6am when the doors opened.
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"Another [strong man] came and wanted to cut the queue, my friend went a told him to go line up as it’s a 'first come first serve' basis.
"In the end, the guy ended up punching my friend. What do you guys think? Went to hospital KL to check... my friend's nose is broken.
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"I was told that the person who punch my friend came as a gang of 10-20 people, they were employed by a re-seller to queue.”
Shocking reports from the US estimate more than 1,200 people die over sneakers every year.
Research suggests one factor in the violence is the marketing hype machine that transforms sneaker releases into feeding frenzies.
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