A new line of sought-after trainers led to police being drafted in this morning after hundreds of eager fans queued to get their hands on a pair.
The Off-White x Nike Air Max 90s were being sold at END clothing in Newcastle with some queuing for up to three days to get their hands on a pair of the £140 shoes.
Queues stretched around the surrounding streets, as around 500 shoppers tried to nab the sought-after trainers.
Some had even travelled from London or Birmingham in the hopes of getting into the store.
Queues to get inside END clothing in Newcastle stretched around the surrounding streets, as around 500 shoppers tried to nab the sought-after trainers
Some of those queuing for the shoes had even travelled from London or Birmingham in the hopes of getting into the store
The presence of police cars (pictured), led some passers-by to worry that something far worse than the launch of limited edition shoes was going on
Danny Kickz (pictured) queued for three days to get his hands on the shoes. He claimed it was ‘well worth the wait’
Watching the queue, trainer enthusiast Will Andrew said there was more fanfare because the Newcastle city centre store had announced the launch in advance on social media.
The limited edition shoes, he said, can be sold on for as much as £400. And now some have started appearing on eBay for around five times their retail price.
Mr Andrew said: ‘We’ve seen people who’ve come up from London to be here, people have been sleeping out for two nights.
‘There were a crazy amount of people here last night. I’ve done it before but on a much lower scale – I wouldn’t join this queue, there’s too many people here.’
The presence of police cars led some passers-by to worry that something far worse than the launch of limited edition shoes was going on.
An ambulance was also sent to the area after one man suffered a ‘medical episode’ on the street on Thursday.
Watching the queue, trainer enthusiast Will Andrew said there was more fanfare because the Newcastle city centre store had announced the launch in advance on social media
The presence of police cars led some passers-by to worry that something far worse than the launch of limited edition shoes was going on
Describing the crowds (pictured), trainer enthusiast Will Stewart said: ‘There were a crazy amount of people here last night. I’ve done it before but on a much lower scale – I wouldn’t join this queue, there’s too many people here’
Danny Kickz, who queued for three days to get his hands on the shoes, said: ‘It was well worth the wait.’
While an onlooker added: ‘I have seen such long queue for anything in my life.
‘I am into my trainers, I understand the fuss. If I was 20 years younger, I would be in that queue myself.
‘But I have overheard people wondering what on earth this is all about.’
One woman, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘I thought it was something terrible, with the amount of police and people standing around in crowds.
‘But it’s just a sale? Well, I wish I had that much time that I could queue up for that long to get some shoes.’
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police confirmed the force had been called out at around 8am after a complaint about the large crowd – thought to number around 500.
The spokesperson said: ‘Shoppers are queuing outside ‘END’ for an upcoming sale and officers attended to ensure no disorder took place and whilst there a man suffered a medical episode.’
Police stood guard at the entrance to the shop to ensure not too many customers went in at a time
Despite the police call-out, shoppers agreed there hadn’t been much trouble among the queuers – though all said they’d heard of or seen trouble in similar queues in the past, at shops in London
The Off-White x Nike Air Max 90s (pictured) can be sold on for as much as £400, according to trainer enthusiast Will Andrew
The shoes are now being sold on eBay for around five times their retail price. Something which trainer enthusiast Will Andrew expected would happen
The Off-White x Nike Air Max 90s come in both ‘desert ore’ colour and ‘black’. Both are selling well above their retail price on eBay
The North East Ambulance Service said it had been called out just after 9am, and taken one patient to the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Despite the police call-out, shoppers agreed there hadn’t been much trouble among the queuers – though all said they’d heard of or seen trouble in similar queues in the past, at shops in London.
Chantelle Gray, 18, from Denton Burn, said she’d been coming back and forth from the queue since Monday, before settling down on Wednesday to spend the night.
She said: ‘It was freezing, it’s horrible – it makes you feel awful for homeless people, knowing we’re just out here waiting for trainers and they have to do this all the time.
‘For me, I’m not interested in selling, it’s the fact that they’re limited edition and everybody wants them, so I want a pair to wear.’
Jay Inniss, 24, had travelled from Birmingham to get his hands on the shoes.
He explained: ‘I’m a collector. Everyone’s got their own thing, their own passion, and for myself, it’s this.
‘People do sell them on, so you could pay an extra £200 or so to get them later, but for me there’s a sense of satisfaction, a sense of achievement, in putting the time in and being the first to get them for myself.’