Influx

News abounds that Reebok is on pace to set sales records with it’s new ‘S. Carter’ shoe, released Friday April 18th. The shoe is produced under the ‘Rbk’ street-cred sub-brand and is the first in the line designed and endorsed by hip-hop artist, Jay-Z. Foot Locker has reported a nation-wide scramble the likes of which they haven’t seen in years: people lining up at 6AM outside stores and then buying out the entire stock within hours.

This new Reebok shoe ‘craze’ happening at Foot Locker smells like a well executed, brand building PR event orchestrated by Foot Locker brand managers, Reebok brand managers and Arnell Group, New York. Every article reports the same few quotes: Jay-Z saying that hearing about fans lining up at 6AM is pure love, a vague quote about a nation-wide scramble and setting sales records, and a statement from Foot Locker about how they haven’t seen a frenzy like this since the 80′s. Reebok’s copy about the shoe has been filled with words like ‘limited’ and exclusive.’

Notoriously fickle 13-24 year-old consumers control 1/3 of athletic shoe spending, while they account for only 5% of the population. To this segment of the shoe market, one of the most powerful sales drivers is momentum, hype and the sense that a shoe is hard to get. One classmate got a pair, two waited in line but the store was sold out by the time they got to the front. Hearing about hype creates hype as kids, just like reporters, jump at the chance to pass on hot news about a frenzy in the making.

yahoo article
hiphopnews article
Reuters article
urban news article
athletic shoe industry article in USA Today
Reebok’s S Carter site