Atlas
Skateshop had the Space Jam drop early Saturday morning and the shoes
sold fresh out with the quickness. A top tier skateshop in the Bay
Area, heads knew in advance that a spot in line would be a precarious
situation, especially due to the store's notoriety and support from
locals. This scenario meant that the line for the limited amount of
shoes would be through the roof, or rather, stretching around the
corner, as was the case early Friday morning. In fact, skaters with a
passion for special release shoes and shoe aficionados in general began
camping out Thursday night like people do for new console releases,
apple products, and feature films.
The
San Mateo Police Department had the Thursday night campers removed, but
that did not stop the eager from returning for a Friday night camp
session. The cops were still a tad irritated/worried, after all, no
matter how many hassles each of us might have been through with the
police over the years, it still is their job to maintain city
ordinances. In the end, Atlas staff let them know all was good, and the
cops chilled and jammed off to their next beat.
When
it was all said and done, I left empty handed and returned home to view
a void space in my closet set aside for a pair of Space Jams. Yet, I
was far from discouraged and remain hopeful that obtainment of a pair
will be within grasp soon. Comments were made in some circles regarding
the box price, however, it is not hard to realize that special release
shoes will hit resale for prices beyond MSRP.
To
put it into perspective, shops have had three major exclusive sells so
far this year, which is a beneficial increase from last year's single
exclusive (Skunks); beneficial for Bay Area sneaker enthusiasts and
skaters, beneficial also for core skate shops. We have six more months
left in 2011, good things are sure to come down the remaining pipeline.
Some
may feel the Space Jam price was steep, but it keeps legitimate skate
shops in business. If the Space Jams are not being skated, if they sit
in a closet for years, if they are simply kept clean as can be and worn
in the streets for leisure, that is all good. Let it be. To each person
who went home with a pair of Space Jams, congratulations. Everyone
wins in the end.
