Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Sneaker Vending Machine

Onitsuka Tiger, the Japanese sports brand, launched a sneaker vending machine on Carnaby Street in Londonrecently. Vending machines were custom-built, and can hold up to 24 pairs of shoes at a time, in 6 sizes.

Sneaker vending isn't entirely new—it's been done in Japan, of course, and Reebok sold shoes from a vendomat back in 2004. Reebok's machine, however, was a bit of a let-down: the sneakers were packed into a seemingly standard, drab box.

Following its London debut, the machine will travel across the UK to bring convenience-buying to the rest of Britain's sneakerheads.