It’s not unheard of to line up for concert tickets, blockbuster movies or fancy electronic devices.

But sneakers?

On Saturday, the original design of Nike’s Air Jordan shoe will be re-released at select stores.

At Loop Clothing in Waterloo, the shoes will be available on a first-come, first serve basis starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, for $215 plus tax.

That commitment was enough to draw some eager buyers to the store Friday morning – in some cases, more than 24 hours before they’d be able to buy the shoe.

“It’s a party. It’s going to get wild and crazy on a Friday night in Waterloo,” said Maggie Segounis, who was holding her boyfriend’s place in line. They’d both come in from Hamilton for a shot at the sneakers.

Air Jordans were first released in 1985. When Michael Jordan wore them in NBA game action, he was fined $5,000. Nike, sensing a marketing opportunity, paid the fine every time.

“It’s my favourite shoe. It’s what got me into shoes. It’s classic – you need to have it,” said Gabriel Leon, who said he’d previously purchased about 10 pairs of Air Jordans and sold most of them, but didn’t expect his newest acquisition to meet the same fate.

Leon arrived at Loop 24 hours before the shoe’s release and was surprised to find other people already lined up.

“I thought this was a low-key spot,” he said.

Store owner Alnoor Keshvani said he wasn’t surprised by the lineups, given that the last time Air Jordans were released in 2013, people arrived at his store 18 hours before they went on sale.

“Once the word gets out on social media that people are already in line, the geese will come flocking,” he said.

For some people, the guarantee of a shoe to early arrivers was enough to lure them to Waterloo.

Nineteen-year-old Luca Palermo said he preferred that to the chosen sale method at a store closer to his Hamilton home, where interested buyers have to sign up for a raffle.

“We didn’t really want to risk it, so we just lined up here where it’s first-come, first-serve,” he said.

Lawn chairs were an essential item for anyone camping out in front of the King Street store.

Sagounis brought an assortment of other necessities, including caffeine, a blanket, a sweater, makeup, and a hat to cover her face as she slept – even if she didn’t fully understand the appeal of the shoes to her boyfriend.

“They’re not Louis Vuitton or anything,” she said.

“They’re sneakers.”

With reporting by Marc Venema