Police Shut Down AriZona Iced Tea x adidas Pop-Up
In yet another episode of ‘This is why we can’t have nice things’, adidas and AriZona Iced Tea’s NYC pop-up, which promised sneakers for 99 cents, got shut down by the NYPD for getting too raucous.
To our Loyal Fans and Followers:
— AriZona Iced Tea (@DrinkAriZona) July 18, 2019
👉 Please be advised the pop up shop located at 208 Bowery St. NYC has been ❌PERMANENTLY CLOSED! ❌
Stay tuned for further information.
Thanks to our loyal fans that came out to support our partnership with Adidas. Due to overwhelming demand and safety concerns, the NYPD shutdown our pop-up. We sincerely apologize to all our fans that waited in line. We are actively working to remedy the situation.
— AriZona Iced Tea (@DrinkAriZona) July 18, 2019
Reportedly, the police showed up after multiple assaults, and one claim of a woman being hit by a bottle.
,The NYPD had to shut down Adidas’ Arizona Iced Tea pop-up shop in NYC. What happens when you try to sell 99-cent shoes. pic.twitter.com/qbAAONFsnb
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) July 18, 2019
Getting physical over sneakers is a trash way to behave, but some are claiming that event organisation played a role in the tensions, as hundreds of people turned up for the release – with many camping overnight is wet weather. ‘I think it was getting dangerous because of the lack of presence of security,’ one attendee told Sole Collector. ‘They weren’t prepared for it. They thought they could do a New York event in New York and not think that New Yorkers are gonna be New Yorkers.’
Even those who played a hand in creating the sneaker were escorted out by police.
Ironically, the cancellation of the 99-cent sneaker has made resale prices sour, with some StockX sales of the Continental 80 reaching over $570.
AriZona Iced Tea and adidas are still planning on releasing the sneakers, although it’s likely the drop will now take place online, rather than IRL. Follow adidas NYC on Twitter for updates, and see what’s up for grabs here.