Limited edition Adidas trainers that saw collectors queuing for three days in the cold and rain are being sold on eBay for up to £58,000 – just hours after going on sale.
Only 160 pairs of the coveted Blackburn SPEZIAL trainers were released at a store on Friday, but by Saturday afternoon many were generating bids of thousands of pounds on the auction site.
Fanatical collectors camped in the street in Blackburn from Tuesday to get their hands on a pair of the sought-after sneakers, which were priced at £100 with proceeds going to a homeless charity.
Dedicated sneakerheads queued for three days to buy limited edition Adidas trainers in Blackburn
Only 160 pairs of the coveted Blackburn SPEZIAL trainers (pictured) were released at the Lancashire store
Many said they were going to keep the trainers is their boxes to add to their collections.
But within hours of their release, trainers were being auctioned off on eBay, with a size five pair having bids of £58,000.
Another pair was set to fetch £50,100, while others were listed for auction with bids reaching £21,400.
One brazen seller, who listed a pair of size nine trainers to buy for £20,000 even offered to throw in a sleeping bag for free.
Within hours of their release, trainers were being auctioned off on eBay, with a size five pair having bids of £58,000
The Blackburn trainer features the homeless charity Nightsafe’s logo and a portion of the sale proceeds will go towards the group
The item description read: ‘This is a limited edition release to highlight the homeless people on the streets of Blackburn.
‘And as well as the brown Spezial swing tag, you also get a red leather limited edition swing tag.
‘I’ll even throw a green sleeping bag in.’
The launch of the Blackburn SPEZIAL shoe is part of an exhibition showcasing the evolution of Adidas footwear.
According to the brand’s website the collection is ‘inspired by the styling of Northern England and the rose of Lancashire’.
The Blackburn trainer features the homeless charity Nightsafe’s logo and a portion of the sale proceeds will go towards the group.
Collectors had camped outside The Cotton Exchange in Blackburn since Tuesday night ready for the opening on Friday.
According to the brand’s website the collection is ‘inspired by the styling of Northern England and the rose of Lancashire
The proceeds from the initial launch day for the shoes are going towards the Nightsafe charity, which helps vulnerable, homeless youngsters.
Jan Larkin CEO of Nightsafe said: ‘We’ve no reason to be disappointed.
‘As far as Nightsafe is concerned nothing can take the shine off the amazing work Gary and his team are doing in Blackburn.
‘We are really grateful that our charity was chosen to benefit.
‘What’s also powerful is the way it’s raising awareness about homelessness.
‘We understand collectors will be fed up to see this, perhaps we can do an official auction some time in the future with the trainers we have been given by Adidas.’
Andy Burns took four days’ holiday from his job and was the first in the queue for a pair.
Andy Burns was first in the queue for a pair of the limited edition trainers and started collecting them in 2008
Speaking on Thursday, he said: ‘I love Adidas as a brand because it reminds me of growing up in the 70s and 80s.
‘The shoes from that time were so colourful and have become really iconic. I started collecting them in 2008 for a bit of fun and it’s become something really enjoyable.’
‘The Blackburn shoe coming out tomorrow is a real throwback to the early days.
‘It’s a proper old school trainer, which is why I’m so excited to get my hands on them.
‘Everyone queuing here at the moment is a proper collector, none of us are going to buy the shoes then sell them on.
‘But as we get closer to the time they’re released, lots of people looking to make some cash will turn up, which is a shame.
‘It’s nicer when a good trainer sells to someone who really cares about the brand.’