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Just over a week ago, Nike had the sneaker world in a frenzy over the release of the Air Foamposite Galaxy shoe, which prompted camp-outs of over a week from heads who wanted to make sure they got their pair before supplies ran out.
The sneaker originally debuted in 1997, and were the most expensive Nike basketball shoe at the time, boasting a pricetag of $180. Back then, they were the signature shoe of the Orlando Magic's Penny Hardaway, but (according to NiceKicks.com) were also worn by Mike Bibby when he played at Arizona. A decade later, they are still in high demand, even the retro releases ... obviously.
Penny recently told MTV's RapFix blog that the demand over his shoe was a "dream come true."
"The Foamposite is really a very nice shoe," the former NBA star said, admitting that he had no idea it would have this much of a draw. "You can never imagine or try to predict that there would be this much pandemonium over your tennis shoe. You would hope so, that it would be crazy -- not to the point of violence -- but everybody wanting them, that's a dream come true."
But, as with recently released retros, the Galaxy-themed sneaker's release did come with some controversy.
There were reports of physical skirmishes among sneaker aficionados the day of their release. According to the Washington Post, more than 100 deputies in riot gear had to subdue an unruly crowd in Orlando, Florida, while one person was arrested for disorderly conduct at a mall in Maryland. Footwear retailer Foot Locker even cancelled sales of the shoes at several locations out of concerns for public safety.
Due to limited quantities, some re-sellers are attempting to sell their pairs for $50,000 on eBay. While there were no bids for this ridiculous pricetag, other pairs were fetching nearly $2,000 in current eBay auctions.
Hardaway wore his own pair during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday (February 24), but also revealed a exclusive Nike Foamposite Shooting Stars version during the second half of the game. These are 1-of-1, and are Orlando Magic-themed (photo above via SoleCollector.com)... and as of today, are probably the most exclusive sneakers on the planet. But, will he sell them?
Penny told MTV that he's "enjoying them" right now, but if he does sell them at a later date, it will be for charity.
"They're just in my possession and I'm enjoying them," he laughs. "For my pair? I don't know. It's something to think about, you know. If I did auction them off or whatever, the money would go to charity, it wouldn't come to me. I don't know if I'm going to auction them off yet. I have to talk to my guy, but I would hope that if they were going to be auctioned off for charity, they would go for a lot of money."
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