Long lines for Air Jordans, most denied

A line of about 80 people had formed outside the Finish Line to by the new Air Jordan XI sneakers. (Photo by WJBC/Eric Stock)

BLOOMINGTON – Dozens of shoppers waited in line for hours and hours for a sale that lasted less than 30 minutes.

A store employee of the Finish Line at Eastland Mall announced shortly before 8 a.m., the store’s usual opening, that it had already run out of the 11 pair of Nike Air Jordan XI retro sneakers that customers had been waiting for hours to buy.

Customers had started gathering at 10 p.m. Thursday outside the mall and were allowed inside at 5:30 a.m., where they waited for two more hours before being allowed inside the store one-by-one to pick up a pair of the sneakers, which retail for about $180.

J.J. Painter of Chicago was first in line, choosing to avoid what he expected to be much longer lines at stores in Chicago which are walking distance from where he lives.

“I figured this would probably be my best bet even though it got absolutely crazy,” Painter said.

J.J. Painter of Chicago was first in line in Bloomington to buy a pair of the new Air Jordan II sneakers on Dec. 23, 2011. (Photo by WJBC/Eric Stock)

Painter and the other customers who were able to purchase the shoes were given police escorts to the cars.

A number of customers were visibly frustrated after waiting for hours only to be told the store had a limited supply of sneakers.

“Why would you basically have us come out and give us no inkling of how may shoes you have and have us wait just to give us nothing,” said Brandon Walker of Bloomington, who said he had been waiting since midnight.

Bloomington Police assisted mall security with crowd control. Police say the crowd was civil.  There have been scuffles reportd at other stores across the country because of a limited supply of new Air Jordans.

The Air Jordan II’s were first worn by Jordan in 1996 when he returned to the Chicago Bulls in 1996 to lead to them to a second string of three consecutive NBA titles. That model first went on sale in 2001.

Eric Stock can be reached at eric@wjbc.com.