Shoppers Trample One Another To Buy Air Jordans

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Dec 23, 2011 11:00PM

Demand for the retro Air Jordan sneakers surpassed expectations, as shoppers gathered in Black Friday-esque swarms to get their hands on the special release of Michael Jordan's legendary shoes. Hundreds of people lined up outside of the Michigan Avenue Niketown store last night to get their hands on the shoes. Things in Chicago were peaceful, though, compared to other places. A door was ripped off of its hinges at a mall in Indianapolis as shoppers trampled one another to get inside. The New York Times reports that arrests were made in at least a dozen cities as shoppers clamored to get their hands on His Airness's shoes. Retailers hadn't expected the demand and didn't request extra security. NYT writes:

It wasn’t just any sneaker they were all after, but the Air Jordan 11 Retro Concord, a version of the shoe Michael Jordan first wore in 1995 and was promptly fined by the National Basketball Association for failing to conform to the league’s dress-code rules. Once the model was made available to the public, it became a big seller, its black-and-white tuxedo design sometimes substituted for dress shoes.

Video of shoppers swarming an Indianapolis-area mall is below.