Reserving shoes frowned upon?

[air pk11]

Is it against any store policies (FTL FTACTION etc.) to take reserve orders for shoes? Also are managers able to ask for or request shoes for him/herself to purchase if their particular store isnt getting a certain release? Lets say for example a footlocker employee or manager wanted a hyped shoe but his store wasnt getting them could he put a order in for the particular shoe before the release date to ensure he could attain such shoe? If that was even a possibility at all could LE's be attained in the same fashion?

 

[futuredhughes]

As far as I'm concerned, you cannot do this at stores.

Unless you know someone, maybe.

 

[woodro]

i know finishline doesnt really allow this, but if ur an employee u have a much better shot at getting any release it seems

 

[mdkicks]

My finishline allows me to pre pay for retro releases about a month before they come out and they have their shipment already. Go in around 11am and pick up my pair.

 

[dtownjumpman]

No stores I know do this, except...maybe DK's.....which is here in Dallas. They DO release shoes early but I just go to Footlocker. I dont know if DK's get B Grades or not. I just like the footlocker bag...

 

[mints]

It's against the contract policies for shops in the US to do this, so not too many places are going to admit to doing it publicly. A lot of places do have an informal system though which is why you'll go to a shop and be first or second in line and find that they only have 8 pairs in and not a full size run.

I'm torn on the subject since I'll take advantage of it when I can, but I wish that Nike/JB would either crack down on it OR initiate a policy that clearly defines how stores can run this. They allow it in Europe, and things aren't any where near as crazy for Jordan releases out there.

 

[el bro]

Yeah, back in 2000, footaction did it all the time for star club members. You would pre buy them, and the shoes would ship to you on release date. Thats how I received my Infrared VI's back then. I remember when I couldve easily did that for the 11's that were going to release in 2000 as well. Amazing how they catered to the customer back then, and now and days people have to give that kind of treatment to stores to make a connect. Screw that, Ill never ask for a hookup or kiss anyones #@$ just to be able to buy a shoe.

 

[limitedretroog]

Originally Posted by MDkicks

My finishline allows me to pre pay for retro releases about a month before they come out and they have their shipment already. Go in around 11am and pick up my pair.

You better hope no one finds out about this. The old manager at the Finish Line I work at got fired for doing this. We also crack down on stores who do this as well (yes, even if it's a Finish Line) and have snitched on them to corporate. I don't agree with it at all. If I were a customer and I woke up bright and early for a release, waited for 10+ hours, was in a good spot in line that I was so sure that I would get my pair, but ended up not because some @#@!!#+ pre-ordered it, best believe I would be starting riots. That's why my manager makes ALL employees (yes, even the assistant managers) wait in line to make it more fair for the customers.

 

[limitedretroog]

Originally Posted by air pk11

Is it against any store policies (FTL FTACTION etc.) to take reserve orders for shoes? Also are managers able to ask for or request shoes for him/herself to purchase if their particular store isnt getting a certain release? Lets say for example a footlocker employee or manager wanted a hyped shoe but his store wasnt getting them could he put a order in for the particular shoe before the release date to ensure he could attain such shoe? If that was even a possibility at all could LE's be attained in the same fashion?

Yes, it's against store policies. Managers who do this will either get fired, lose their Nike account, or both. Heck, we're not even allowed to take the shoes out of the backroom just to show them or reveal how many pairs we got in shipment. No, managers request shoes for themselves. They don't get the shoe, they can call up a manager at another store and ask them to hold the shoe for them and they gotta go down there to pick it up. That's about it. That is, if the manager will even hold the shoes. Mine won't hold it for anyone.

 

[Mound Raised]

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

Originally Posted by air pk11

Is it against any store policies (FTL FTACTION etc.) to take reserve orders for shoes? Also are managers able to ask for or request shoes for him/herself to purchase if their particular store isnt getting a certain release? Lets say for example a footlocker employee or manager wanted a hyped shoe but his store wasnt getting them could he put a order in for the particular shoe before the release date to ensure he could attain such shoe? If that was even a possibility at all could LE's be attained in the same fashion?

Yes, it's against store policies. Managers who do this will either get fired, lose their Nike account, or both. Heck, we're not even allowed to take the shoes out of the backroom just to show them or reveal how many pairs we got in shipment. No, managers request shoes for themselves. They don't get the shoe, they can call up a manager at another store and ask them to hold the shoe for them and they gotta go down there to pick it up. That's about it. That is, if the manager will even hold the shoes. Mine won't hold it for anyone.

Does this apply yo just FNL, FL, champs, etc.? Or all retailers?I have no qualms with reserves, I'd rather have my pair locked.My issue is these stores who hold pairs for folks on a "list" with no money down.The shoes should either be reserved/paid for or first come first serve. That whole "lists" $$*$ is some bs.I'm speaking about City Gear if y'all have one near you.

 

[limitedretroog]

^Reserving, pre-ordering, etc. it applies to all stores. When you get a Nike account, you sign an agreement saying you won't mess with the shoe at all before the release date. Reserving and pre-ordering violates that agreement and therefore could lose the store's Nike account. Requesting shoes for a manager, I know this applies to Finish Line, but I'm pretty sure also applies to Champs and Foot Locker.

 

[air pk11]

Thx for the info I was really trying to see if it was an option of prepaying without the "Connect" but I guess not. As far as employees ordering shoes that their store isnt getting is that plausible? I go to different malls and certain stores in certain areas dont get every release. Like the all red foams no store in athens mall got a single pair despite having a plethora of shoe stores (not really but u get it). So if I "Knew" a manager that isnt into all this hoopla and just works there would it be possible to get releases they wouldnt normally receive even if its just the 1 "personal" pair for the manager? Everything is hypothetical @ the moment just trying to see what kind of plug I need to attain childhood kicks without all the hassle.

 

[air pk11]

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

Yes, it's against store policies. Managers who do this will either get fired, lose their Nike account, or both. Heck, we're not even allowed to take the shoes out of the backroom just to show them or reveal how many pairs we got in shipment. No, managers request shoes for themselves. They don't get the shoe, they can call up a manager at another store and ask them to hold the shoe for them and they gotta go down there to pick it up. That's about it. That is, if the manager will even hold the shoes. Mine won't hold it for anyone.
Overlooked your post thx for the info. Nike/JB please make it a little easier on the consumer Im about to give kicks up if I cant find a reasonable way to get shoes @ retail.

 

[ohboydanny]

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

^Reserving, pre-ordering, etc. it applies to all stores. When you get a Nike account, you sign an agreement saying you won't mess with the shoe at all before the release date.

Not true. Only thing your obligated to do is honor the release date, and that's only if your brick and mortar. You can still reserve and preorder shoes while still honoring the release date.
Those of you that do the pre-order via GC thing at these major retailers, be careful. That's a sneaky trick stores use. Gift card purchases cannot be returned for any reason, they can only be exchanged. If you find yourself needing to return a purchase for any reason, you'd be SOL.

 

[limitedretroog]

Prepaying with a connect is an option, it's just against the rules and can risk the manager of getting fired and/or lose the store's Nike account. If you found a manager who's cool and willing to take that risk and break the rules, go for it.
What shows certain stores get depends on how well the company thinks it'll sell there. Your store didn't get the red Foams because Foams probably don't sell that well there.
As I said, the manager can't request shoes. If his store doesn't get Foams, he can't ask for Foams. He's gotta call up a store that gets Foams and ask if the manager there will hold it for him. If he says no, dude becomes a customer and has to do it like everybody else.

 

[limitedretroog]

Originally Posted by ohboydanny

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

^Reserving, pre-ordering, etc. it applies to all stores. When you get a Nike account, you sign an agreement saying you won't mess with the shoe at all before the release date.

Not true. Only thing your obligated to do is honor the release date, and that's only if your brick and mortar. You can still reserve and preorder shoes while still honoring the release date.
Those of you that do the pre-order via GC thing at these major retailers, be careful. That's a sneaky trick stores use. Gift card purchases cannot be returned for any reason, they can only be exchanged. If you find yourself needing to return a purchase for any reason, you'd be SOL.

Then please tell me why the old manager at the Finish Line I work at got fired for pre-ordering the Black Cement IIIs. If Finish Line or Foot Locker inc. gets wind of a store pre-ordering or doing reserves, that manager's @$+ will be on the line, I can guarantee you.

 

[ohboydanny]

^ That's a company policy, not a nike one (well it didn't use to be a nike one). The reason why it's frowned upon by these companies is because of the potential risk involved. With a pre-order your trusting the store manager/gm with your money. Imagine a SM/GM takes 30 pre-orders without using the giftcard method, that's almost 5k that has passed through that SMs hands and FNL has ZERO record of it. Come release date a mix up occurs and a customer doesn't get his/her pair, MAJOR issue now because CS is called and all that nonsense.

But the biggest reason companies don't allow it is because there's no way to monitor it. You allow it, but then that opens up a whole other door for problems. The SM/GM could now charge people an additional fee to pre-order where he's pocketing the extra, that many moving parts could also make shrink more prominent, and etc.

 

[mdkicks]

I dont know, my finishline puts the shoe on display a week before it comes out up at the counter and has for the past 6 years. My footlocker let me pre order spacejams months before they came out.

 

[limitedretroog]

^And you really think Nike's gonna let pre-orders fly?

Nah. The Champs down here almost lost their Nike account for pre-ordering the Concords.
Even the gift card method is against company policy. The manger WILL be in trouble if corporate finds out, even if it's with a gift card. Maybe FNL and FTL both have different policies, but I know this is how it works at FNL.

 

[limitedretroog]

Originally Posted by MDkicks

I dont know, my finishline puts the shoe on display a week before it comes out up at the counter and has for the past 6 years. My footlocker let me pre order spacejams months before they came out.

As I said, if your Foot Locker is still doing it, you better hope the district manager or corporate doesn't find out. I once called a Foot Locker down here back when the Cement IVs were coming out. One of my coworkers snitched on them for pre-ordering and doing other shady business. I asked if they were doing pre-orders. The person on the phone said, "We're not doing pre-orders anymore."

 

[ohboydanny]

Originally Posted by LimitedRetroOG

^And you really think Nike's gonna let pre-orders fly?

Nah. The Champs down here almost lost their Nike account for pre-ordering the Concords.
Even the gift card method is against company policy. The manger WILL be in trouble if corporate finds out, even if it's with a gift card. Maybe FNL and FTL both have different policies, but I know this is how it works at FNL.

Never said gift cards were okay with these companies. The gift card method still invites opportunities for corruption. 
And accounts aren't given to each individual store, so the Champs your referring to didn't lose it's Nike account, corporate just stop sending them product. And that's not how it even works. These companies punish stores by not sending them the next major release, not by refusing to send them ANY nike products. That's more than half of their revenue

. 

Nike, until recently, never had policy on pre-ordering/reserving. All they asked were for stores to honor the release date. The only reason this new policy was put in place was to limit the amount of pairs an individual could buy.

 

[limitedretroog]

^Gotcha. Thanks for clearing things up. By the way, I said almost.

I know the manager down there got in a %@#% load of trouble, though.

 

[mdkicks]

Oh well if things do go sour and that does happen my boy works at DTLR and can get me whatever I need lol. Always gotta have a backup plan

 

[a55a5in11]

stores can pre order or reserve all they want. dont listen to the dude. it may be against finishline/champs/footlocker company policy but if the company allowed it they could.
i mean nike does pre rrders on there releases on twitter

 

[bigbrandon]

Special circumstances have and will be made. After an incident at a mall near me Mall security met with the DM of FL/Champs and other shoe stores in the mall that are all major chain stores Mall management told them you have a list and do pre orders or you will not be allowed to release High demand and Jordan Brand sneakers again and now every store in the mall does pre orders on a random date...