Léo Baudoux
Apr 13, 2023
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News
Okay, we've already talked to you about the incredible and historic collaboration between London-based streetwear brand Corteiz and the swoosh brand Nike (you can read the article right here), but on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Paris was hit by an electric shock! After a drop in New York and London, the brand chose Paris for the continuation of its collaboration, but things didn't go as planned...we'll tell you everything 💫.
Context
You may not know that Corteiz has been in the spotlight for over a year. Their collaboration with Nike produced 3 pairs:
Nike Air Max 95 SP Corteiz Gutta Green
The pair was exclusively released on the brand's website in March for €190. The military-colored pair features an OG box like the air max of the time.
Fun fact 👀 : on the occasion of the release, those present in London had the chance to try to shoot at a football crossbar to win the pair! Pretty original marketing 😅 but we love it!!
Nike Air Max 95 SP Corteiz Pink Beam
The second pair from the collaboration was released in several ways: on the brand's website like the green pair, on Nike SNKRS in the form of a mini treasure hunt through the nike app (you had to scratch an image to access the pair 😎), but also in person at a pop-up in New York! A release via "Stash" on Nike allowed Londoners to access the pair if they were in certain specific locations via the application's geolocation.
Nike Air Max 95 SP Corteiz Aegean Storm
The one we're interested in here and perhaps the most beautiful of the pack? (We'll let you tell us 😉). It looks like the other two but especially the pink one. It is made of a black upper with blue reflections and has GPS coordinates on the heel. It will probably be released on the brand's website and on nike, but for now, it has only been released in Paris.
Why did the Parisian release make so much noise?
It is because of its chaos and also its enthusiasm that the drop in Paris made headlines around the world, with Parisian fans being more than involved in the Clint brand.
The Story
It all started on the evening of April 11th when the brand's Instagram account posted a meeting place in Paris for the next day at 1:50 pm with a specially customized bus from the Paris transport network for the occasion.
D-Day! We are at Place de la République at 1:50 pm. The bus seen on the Instagram post passes just next to the square with GPS coordinates on its facade. These coordinates are the location of the real drop. This is followed by a horde of Parisians running through the streets of Paris to get to the location where the sale will take place as quickly as possible. This resulted in completely crazy images that went around the world in less than a few hours.
On-site, the organization, which was expecting a large number of people, unfortunately could not cope with the influx. Fights broke out with even 2 injuries, to whom we wish a speedy recovery 🙏
According to the deputy mayor of Paris, David Belliard, "We have not received any request for authorization for this commercial and advertising operation on the street. And just because you're called @Nike doesn't mean you're above the rules. We will look at what action to take." from his Twitter account.
Since the drop was taking place in a car park, the fans forced the doors, which further delayed the sale, as a proper queue had to be prepared. Three trucks were in place, filled with pairs, ready to replenish the brand's fans.
Many people were left outside and few were able to get inside, which was difficult to manage for the brand and security teams. It's hard to satisfy everyone, so there would inevitably be some disappointed fans.
Despite these difficulties, the lucky ones who managed to get their hands on the coveted sneakers were happy, with a free T-shirt also offered with the purchase of the shoes.
Let's Recap'
Despite the chaotic event in the capital, it shows the importance of sneakers and streetwear among young people, especially through reselling. We hope that future collaborations will be better organized to avoid any incidents, but the hype around this collaboration between Corteiz and Nike is a testament to the power of streetwear in the fashion world.
