Monday, October 02, 2006

Camping out at Niketown - Union Square



It seems that I pass a row of people hunkered down for the night at least once a month outside the Union Sqaure Niketown. Every time a premium pair of sneakers is introduced, these Nike collectors come out and stake their place in line. Often the line of folding chairs and sleeping bags snakes around the block. Niketown seems to encourage this sidewalk squatting by issuing numbered wristbands to those in line every time a particularly coveted style of Air Jordans is released.

The last last time I noticed these campers, it was a Thursday night. They were waiting for a Saturday release of the Air Max Hybrids. Where do these people come from and why do they wait all night, often for several nights in a row, for a pair of shoes they could buy on the Haight without sacrificing a good night's sleep?

278 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.392.6453

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