Adidas Launches Shoes That Double As Transit Passes For Berliners

Dozens of sports shoe enthusiasts "stormed" adidas stores in Berlin on Tuesday to "snatch a pair of shoes launched in collaboration with the public transport network" that incorporate the same pattern as the subway’s seats, "as well as an annual ticket," according to Emma Thomasson of REUTERS. Adidas "is selling just 500 pairs of the shoes" for €180 ($220) each to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) public transport company. The shoes -- an updated version of the EQT shoes originally launched in '93 that were "popular with east Germans after the fall of the Berlin Wall" -- have a season ticket valid for '18, normally worth €730 ($895), sewn into the tongue of the shoes (REUTERS, 1/16). In London, Holly Young reported the shoes "double up as an annual transit pass" covering the bus, tram and underground in zones A and B. The sale "has drawn an unusual mix of trainer collectors and those simply looking to make a saving on their daily commute" (GUARDIAN, 1/16).