Discounter Lidl isn't usually the sort of place you would associate with must-have fashion, although the Lidl sneaker, pairs of which have sold for close to €5,000 on eBay, is making a comeback.
Lidl Switzerland has announced that from Easter Monday (5 April), it will be stocking the blue, yellow and red sneaker – along with matching sports socks – on a limited-edition basis.
The sneakers will be priced at CHF 14.99 and will be available at Lidl stores in Visp, Conthey, Brig, Sierre, Bulle, Collombey, Martigny, Matran, Marly, Givisiez, Düdingen, Matten bei Interlaken, Sarnen and Emmenbrücke.
Social Media Sensation
Since it was first conceived as an April Fool's joke, the Lidl sneaker has become a social media sensation and sought-after fashion item.
Initial sales of 400 pairs in Germany were followed by a limited-edition sales periods in Switzerland, Finland and Belgium, which reported queues out the door on the first day of sale.
Some 75,000 pairs of the sneakers were also introduced to stores across France in December of last year, leading to the sort of in-store surge not seen since the 'Nutella riots' of a few years' back.
Bravo @lidlfrance ????
Je suis super fan #lidlsneaker ?? pic.twitter.com/ZucgI7Gaw4— Salimata Gueye (@salisagna) December 27, 2020
The discounter also sent several pairs to celebrities, such as former French footballer Djibril Cissé, to drum up interest. Priced at €12.99, the sneakers were soon selling on auction sites such as eBay for close to €5,000.
Swiss sneakerheads take note – these won't last long.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
