Kicks for the soul

Well aware of the scalping situation, Nike has taken measures to ensure that sneakerheads have a fair chance of getting the shoes they want. For example, customers are only allowed to buy one pair of limited release items. The company also offers online balloting through their SNKRS app.

However, scalpers have the manpower and technology to get an unfair edge, says one Nike employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

For example, scalpers would usually pay a large group of ayi, or middle-aged women, to queue for the shoes. When the shoes are released through an online ballot, scalpers rely on bots that can considerably increase their chances of winning bids. Last October, technology website CNET reported that even consumers can get a leg up in getting the shoes they want by paying to use a bot called CyberAIO.

"We once realized that many of the new sneakers released went to scalpers as multiple orders were being delivered to the same mailing address," says the Nike employee.

"When such an incident occurs, we immediately blacklist the address. It's a cat-and-mouse game."

The Nike employee also says that authorized retailers have resorted to implementing their own measures. Once, a store announced that only people wearing Air Jordan 1 were allowed to buy the new releases.

"You should've seen the queue-a whole bunch of ayi in the queue were wearing Air Jordans!" he says.