Corteiz also conquered Paris

After London and New York, the Corteiz phenomenon also landed in Paris, paralyzing the streets of the French capital. The occasion was the release of the third colorway of the collaboration with Nike, renamed "Aegon Storm," capable of drawing a crowd reminiscent of those that populated stores halfway around the world when, in the heyday of sneaker culture, every release turned into a small event. As reported by some local media, the first date for the drop was at République, while some GPS coordinates released by the brand prompted the crowd to move to another location, near Nation. There, those present gathered around the Corteiz-branded bus parked in front of the store chosen for the sneaker drop. According to those present, the crowd reportedly caused several minor injuries, while some told of stolen sneakers and several scuffles among those present. Sold at a retail price of €190, the Air Max 95 Aegon Storm immediately reached a resell price of nearly €400, just as happened with the previous two colorways, the Gutta Green and Pink Beam.

Beyond the problems seen during the event, something that has unfortunately always been a part of sneaker drops for almost a decade now, the global success of Corteiz remains an almost inexplicable phenomenon in terms of its scale and the historical moment in which it is happening. While those who were once the masters of hype culture are gradually trying to normalize themselves, turning more and more into ordinary brands, the British collective has taken up the more classic formula of drops and limited releases, first building a strong community in England and then making the big leap outside national borders. For its part, Nike has found a name capable of drawing attention, now lost, around sneakers and the very concept of community. The only question, to date, is how far and how will this much-unexpected-when-needed backlash go on.