DUBAI: Limited-edition Adidas shoes produced in collaboration with the UAE’s popular Pakistani eatery Ravi are being resold online for up to $12,000.
On Thursday, shoppers in the UAE queued at The Dubai Mall store to purchase the new sneakers that are part of a series of shoes celebrating iconic restaurants in 11 cities worldwide.
Purchasers, who waited in line for hours before the shop opened its doors at 10 a.m., quickly posted their $150 sneakers online to resell them on retail apps and websites such as Dubizzle and Facebook Marketplace.
While some were on offer for between $250 and $1,090, one seller was trading the limited-edition sneakers for $12,000 on Facebook Marketplace. In a post, the seller said: “New. Legendary. 44 years = AED44,000. Fight me if you want, but you can’t fight math,” referring to the Ravi restaurant being in business for 44 years.
One seller was trading the limited-edition sneakers for $12,000 on Facebook Marketplace. (Facebook)
The eatery is one of the emirate’s most nostalgic joints which has long served as a popular dining spot for both expat and Emirati foodies alike since it opened its doors in 1978.
The no-frills outlet has also dished up Pakistani fare for a celebrity diner or two, including US rapper Snoop Dogg and pop band One Republic.
In a twist on the Adidas Original Superstar, the special edition Superstar Ravi colorway references the Pakistani heritage of the owners and features a custom sock liner with a hand-drawn map design signifying the meaning of the name Ravi, which is a river in northeastern Pakistan.
The heel tab branding includes the year Ravi opened alongside the name in English and Arabic on either shoe. The restaurant’s owners hand-selected six dishes which have been added to the tongue of the sneakers with English on one side and Arabic on the other — the restaurant’s famous chicken biriyani and karak chai made the cut.