The underworld of sneaker culture can be sketchy. Often, the early pairs and bulk buys you see floating around online are obtained illegally and sometimes violently. In the late 80s and early 90s, it was common for people to be held up at gunpoint for a pair of Air Jordans. Nowadays, obtaining sneakers through ill-gotten means has evolved into stealing whole shipping containers.
In a scene straight out of Goodfellas, LAPD recovered $7 million worth of stolen Nike sneakers in Torrance, California. The sting resulted from a stakeout after investigators learned of several shipping containers being stolen from the Port of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, no arrests have been made at this time, even though police were able to recover the stolen goods.
Video of the seizure showed hundreds of shipping boxes in an undisclosed warehouse, and many of them had the SKU DZ0879-100. That SKU is attached to Drake's newest signature, the Nike Nocta Glide, a shoe that has yet to be released to retailers.
It's doubtful that this is the end of the story. Police will no doubt be looking to uncover those responsible for the vast stockpile of stolen goods. Tales like this are all too familiar in the sneaker world, and this warehouse is likely just a tiny tip of the iceberg. If you think it's a victimless crime that only hurts Nike, think again. The thieves didn't just go to Port of LA and ask for the containers; they won't ask storeowners if they can come in during midnight hours and raid their stockroom, and truck drivers don't voluntarily pull off the road and distribute their haul. These stolen goods are obtained through violence or the threat of violence, so think long and hard about supporting these crooks before you buy shoes off the street.
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Image via SourcingJournal