How Nike Turned The Shoe Drop Into A High-Tech Treasure Hunt

About a hundred kick-hungry sneakerheads marched into Washington Square Park, smartphones held high, panning from side to side, on a late June afternoon in New York City. It was a mix of faces: parents, early high schoolers, 20-something urbanites. They paced in droves, pushing strollers, scooting atop bicycles, coasting on electric skateboards. Most strutted in sneakers so clean they looked as if they were just pulled out of the box. Seconds later, they all took off sprinting. It looked like a parkour-inspired flash mob, some racing at high enough speeds to clear benches with a single leap. Bike tires screeched as a handful took off on wheels. Body after body circled around the park’s iconic fountain to a walkway covered by trees. Bystanders whipped around as more and more weaved their way through the crowd. “Where are they going?!” one yelled. They funneled into a small open area just off the park’s eastern entryway. One by one, they came to a halt, still glued to the screens of their phones. Then, they pulled out their credit cards. This is how Nike is selling sneakers in the age of the smartphone. Read more at Mashable.