Sneakerheads Are Trying to Sell Black Panther Adidas for Insane Prices, and Fans Are Fuming

The sneaker industry has become quite a booming market and one that has seen its fair share of [...]

By Kyle Phillippi

The sneaker industry has become quite a booming market and one that has seen its fair share of controversies stemming from price gouging. This tactic is what's going on in the community following the death of Chadwick Boseman, who famously starred as T'Challa in Marvel's Black Panther.

Coinciding with the release of Avengers: Endgame, Adidas released a "Heroes Among Us" collection that featured James Harden as Iron Man, John Wall as Captain America and Damian Lillard as T'Challa, among others. Now, the Dame 5s are seeing some serious markups in the wake of Boseman's death after battling colon cancer. One user on Twitter noticed the alarming trend, sharing a screenshot showing second-hand sellers listing the Adidas Dame 5 as high as $600, "Please leave the sneaker community if you are selling off the Black Panther Dame 5 right now at these prices." Following celebrity deaths, unfortunately, the marketplace in this industry has exploited them, more recently doing so following the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant earlier in the year.

Another user noticed the extreme markups, calling them "disgusting" for attempting to capitalize on Boseman's name. It wasn't just the Adidas line that saw markups either, as one person shared that the Black Panther Vans saw a sudden spike in reselling. In response to this, another account noted that the resell market has been doing this for years, naming examples like the Princess Diana Beanie Baby and various Michael Jackson merchandise that saw its prices rise after their passing.

While some pointed to the unfortunate markups seen in the sneaker community, others shared photos of themselves rocking the black and purple kicks. When the movie came out, athletes across the sports world found ways to incorporate the signature look of Wakanda and the suit of T'Challa. Along with Lillard, Klay Thompson also suited up in a game wearing a shoe that depicted the character on them. Cam Newton also donned some cleats in honor of the movie before an NFL game in 2018.

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