Nike Hopes for Smoother Rollout of ‘Lost and Found’ Jordan 1
Nike looks set to re-release the Air Jordan 1 “Lost & Found.” The company had earlier used its SNKRS app to poll users on their reaction to a potential restock of the hugely popular distressed-looking sneaker that mimics the classic 1980’s Jordan 1 model worn by Michael Jordan.
Sources told Complex that a “Lost & Found” restock is coming next week. But a restock does not guarantee the thousands of people who missed out on the original release in November will be able to purchase the sneakers this go round.
Demand is expected to be high, given how many collectors have called for a restock on social media in recent months. And the sneakers’ recent inclusion in the movie ‘Air,’ albeit in their original design, has increased awareness. But fans are likely to be wary of a repeat of the last release of the shoe in November, which called attention to various glitches in the SNKRS app.
At the time, Nike granted early exclusive access to select customers and released more pairs than usual, a rumored 500,000. But many sneakerheads could not enter a draw for the wider release on the SNKRS app because of app crashes or frozen screens. Others were met with error messages at checkout. Many compared the experience to buying Taylor Swift concert tickets on Ticketmaster the same week. Some customers lucky enough to receive”Lost & Found” pairs reportedly found mold on them.
This time, the competition to get these sneakers is expected to be similarly intense. As with many hot sneaker releases, resellers will look to buy pairs of the ‘Lost & Found’ Jordans to flip online quickly. Most sizes of the original release still go for at least double the $180 retail price on StockX. Over 33,000 pairs have been sold on the resale marketplace to date.
Glitches remain common on the app due to the thousands of people attempting to buy hyped releases nearly weekly. Nike has increased its efforts to thwart bots, software used by resellers that automates the online checkout process, by banning accounts and canceling orders from people it deems to be reselling merchandise for a profit. But the system isn’t foolproof.
The “Lost & Found” Jordan 1s, part of Nike’s reimagined series, tell a story of how sneakers were often lost in storage in the backrooms of sneaker shops before they were discovered again. The sneakers, in the original “Chicago” colorway, feature cracked leather around the collar to show aging and were the release of the year for many in the sneaker community when they dropped late in 2022.
The highly anticipated restock notably comes after the release of the movie “Air” on April 5, a tale of how Nike courted Michael Jordan in 1984. In the movie, Nike executives present Jordan with his first basketball shoe, the Air Jordan 1 “Chicago,” the same colorway as the recent “Lost and Found” release.
“The Last Dance” was the last prominent Jordan-related film or documentary to be released before “Air.” The documentary told the story of Jordan’s last season in Chicago when he and the Bulls won their sixth NBA Championship. But among sneakerheads, the documentary ignited incredible demand for Jordan Brand, especially the Jordan 1.
Demand for the silhouette has since slowed. But Wedbush analysts believe “Air” may give Jordan Brand another surge in 2023.
“The last time there was a Jordan-related piece of pop-culture entertainment was 2020’s “Last Dance” documentary, and while it’s difficult to quantify the commercial impact of “Last Dance”, we believe it created a lot of buzz around the Jordan brand,” Wedbush wrote. “While “Last Dance” was undoubtedly a “right time, right place” situation (a streaming series released at the height of 2020’s lockdowns), we think that “Air” has the potential to generate additional buzz around the Jordan brand.”
Nike will undoubtedly hope that the conversation surrounding the “Lost & Found” restock is focused on the sneakers and not any hiccups associated with its SNKRS app.
Source: Business Insider Africa
