Yesterday, crowd levels reached a tipping point outside of the Supreme NY and LA stores causing a shut down of retail releases of the Supreme Foamposites by law enforcement out of concern for public safety. The last time crowds amassed to these levels for a Foamposite? Well, before I answer that, let’s take a look at the answer to that as well as other takeaways from the Supreme Foamposite release.
#5 Supreme’s influence continues to stretch far beyond its skate roots.
Supreme has worked with many brands over the years for non-skate projects, but the energy and excitement for these Foamposites further prove that Supreme, as a brand, has a strongly loyal and engaged following for products that have nothing to do with its skate roots.
#4 Printed Foamposites aren’t dead.
Nike Sportswear has had a strong run with the Foamposite for a few years, but sell-through rates have slowed tremendously as of late on Foams with printed patterned uppers. The Supreme makeup just shows that when done right, the printed Foamposite can be nothing short of amazing and not tacky.
#3 Crowd control is still an issue at major sneaker releases.
Large crowds are nothing new to sneaker releases, but the concern for public safety has become a talking point for many local law enforcement groups. We have heard of very unfortunate incidents happening outside sneaker spots leading up to major releases, but are local police stereotyping sneaker releases to causing bigger problems than lineups and campouts we see for Black Friday deals?
#2 Resellers continue to drive pre-sale demand.
Yes, there are many people who lined up for the Supreme Foamposites because they genuinely want the shoes, but with resale prices on stolen goods going as high as 4 figures, one has to consider how much pre-sale hype is generated by those looking to flip the kicks.
#1 Collaborations reign supreme.
Collaborations on sneakers are approaching 15 years of practice and time after time, they continue to bring out the crowds and the attention to brands.
