Berliners lined up for sneakers with a built-in travel card
Adidas Originals has released sneakers with a pattern that repeats the pattern on the seats in the subway. The issue is timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Berlin transport system. There was a huge queue behind the sneakers, but not because of the original pattern on the shoes, but because of the fact that a travel ticket is sewn inside.
In an effort to get an exclusive pair of sneakers, and even with a sewn-in travel card for a year, Berliners lined up in a long queue in front of two stores, and even the snow and cold did not stop them. A limited edition of five hundred pairs went on sale.
Sales began on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. By one o'clock in the morning, there were about 550 people in line, many of them came to the store on the weekend. For example, Peggy from Hellersdorf, a district in Berlin, told Tagesspiegel that she had been standing in line since Monday morning. While waiting for the start of sales, people put up tents right on the sidewalk.
So why did the limited edition sneakers cause a stir among Berliners? The fact is that a pair of shoes with a sewn-in travel card for a year costs 180 euros, and an annual ticket for public transport costs a resident of Berlin 761 euros. The ticket is valid until the end of 2018 in the metro, trams, buses and ferries. The main condition is that the sneakers must be worn by the passenger, if you carry them in your hand or in a box, they will not work.