Nike upset hypebeasts with accidental Android-exclusive SNKRS drop
The Off-White "Queen" sold out in seconds, before iPhone users even had a chance.
Nike introduced its shoe-selling app SNKRS in 2016, but it wasn't until nearly a year later that it rolled out an Android version. Even today, some of the app's best features (like a way to buy sneakers using augmented reality) are exclusive to iOS. Which, as you can imagine, causes frustration among Android users. But, today, the tables were flipped, even if it may not have been intentional. During Thursday's surprise launch of Nike's "Queen" Blazer Mid, a collaboration with streetwear designer Virgil Abloh, his brand Off-White and tennis superstar Serena Williams, SNKRS users on Android were able to get access to the pair before their iOS counterparts. And, as you might expect, hypebeasts with an iPhone were not happy.
Nike dropped this limited-edition shoe using its Behind the Design "scratch" feature, which prompts users to virtually scratch an image to unlock and buy the shoe. As is typically the case with these highly coveted Nike collaborations, the "Queen" Blazer Mid sold out in seconds, with Android users taking basically all the stock. At first, it seemed as if Nike had made the shoes available exclusively on Android, but later it was discovered that iPhone users also had access to the "scratch" release -- they just had to log out and back in to the app. Nike is mum on whether this was by design, or if its SNKRS app for iOS just completely dropped the ball.
Either way, the Android crowd who wanted the sneakers and managed to get them was over the moon. Meanwhile, iPhone users took to Twitter to express their frustration by engaging in an age old tradition: making fun of Android owners for not having, well, an iPhone. (Not everyone takes defeat kindly.) And when you think about the fact these $130 shoes sell for around $1,000 on resale apps, you can see why those with an iPhone were so bitter about their loss.
Nike, for its part, is probably laughing at how silly the entire situation is.
Pro-tip for Android users:
Sell your Serena Blazers and buy an iPhone— J23 iPhone App (@J23app) October 25, 2018
Android homie got excited, dropped his phone and his battery fell out
— SupremeisDead (@hottie4203) October 25, 2018
Now these andriod ppl got enough money for an iphone
— swimming from the bag (@calebgags) October 25, 2018
Go use that resell money to upgrade your potato phone
— Chris Owens (@cowens_) October 25, 2018
I'd rather have an iPhone and take the L
— Mika D'Amico (@mikadamico) October 25, 2018
You might've copped a $900 shoe if you had a droid.
But your phone still gets viruses.— robert white (@robertwhite____) October 25, 2018
Nike prob feels bad for everyone that has an android
— Rob (@rob_sarno) October 25, 2018
Get and iPhone so IF you ever cop it won't look like this pic.twitter.com/xgVxKoltbH
— 100T Cloudz (@FearzCloudz) October 25, 2018