Adidas x Ravi Restaurant trainers advertised for up to Dh44,000 on resale sites

Although the shoes have been listed for 'negotiable' inflated prices, it is not guaranteed buyers will pay

Adidas x Ravi Restaurant trainers on sale at adidas's flagship store in The Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National

The queue started at 4am in The Dubai Mall store. Antonie Robertson / The National

Saud Sattar with one of the first pairs. Antonie Robertson / The National

A range of merchandise on display. Antonie Robertson / The National

People buying several pairs each. Antonie Robertson / The National

Face masks and paper hats on display. Antonie Robertson / The National

The Adidas x Ravi Restaurant trainers launch day in The Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National

The shoe is part of an international collaboration with restaurants. Antonie Robertson / The National

The 'takeaway' shoebox. Antonie Robertson / The National

A limited number of pairs on sale for Dh549 a pop. Sarah Maisey / The National

Queues build at the adidas store in The Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National

The Adidas x Ravi Restaurant trainers being snapped up by eager fans. Antonie Robertson / The National

The shoes were sold in stores and online. Sarah Maisey / The National

Retail staff donned the same outfits as their Ravi Restaurant counterparts. Antonie Robertson / The National

The collaboration took 18 months to set up. Sarah Maisey / The National

Tooshank Sharma stood in line from 4am to get his shoes. Antonie Robertson / The National

The adidas store decked out like a replica Ravi Restaurant. Sarah Maisey / The National

Saud Sattar with one of the first pairs. Antonie Robertson / The National

A Ravi-branded tuk-tuk on display. Sarah Maisey / The National

The collaboration created a huge buzz among "sneakerheads". Antonie Robertson / The National

The first Ravi Restaurant opened in Satwa. Sarah Maisey / The National

Ravi Restaurant serves authentic Pakistani food. Sarah Maisey / The National

Lines of shoppers wait to get into the adidas store in The Dubai Mall. Antonie Robertson / The National

The shoes were limited to five pairs per person. Sarah Maisey / The National

Themed cushions. Sarah Maisey / The National

Shoppers queue to snap up the one-off shoes. Antonie Robertson / The National

The collaboration is part of a global campaign with 11 restaurants involved. Sarah Maisey / The National

The limited-edition adidas x Ravi Restaurant trainers were released on Thursday, with shoppers queuing from 4am to get their hands on the coveted footwear.

The shoes sold out within hours, which has lead to pairs quickly appearing on resale sites, including Dubizzle and Facebook Marketplace.

The trainers officially sold for Dh549, and while on Dubizzle the majority are being listed for resale for between Dh1,000 and Dh2,000, the highest price currently posted is Dh4,000 — a number that the seller notes is "negotiable". It is not clear if the shoes are fetching the amount they have been posted for.

Facebook Marketplace has a more inflated range of prices, with one pair posted for Dh44,000.

"New. Legendary. 44 years = AED44,000. Fight me if you want, but you can't fight math," the post selling the shoes reads. The trainers have been posted by seller Hollywood Steph and "44 years" references the time Ravi Restaurant has been operating in Dubai, having opened in 1978.

“We are thrilled at the community's response to this collaboration,” Vicki Fitzsimons, senior brand director at adidas Mena, told The National.

“Our ecommerce website sold out within a few hours of the launch, and we’ve had some of our fashion retailers sell out within minutes of the launch, which serves as a true testament to the significance of Ravi Restaurant in Dubai.”

Adidas declined to comment on the topic of resale and has chosen not to reveal how many pairs of the shoes were released.

Self-confessed "sneakerheads" flocked to the flagship adidas store at The Dubai Mall to buy the trainers on Thursday.

Keen shopper Tooshank Sharma told The National: "I have been here since 4am. This sneaker gives me a lot of nostalgia. I have been in Dubai for 10 years and I believe this is a piece of history, one you have to have."

This was echoed by another shopper, Sabi, who said: "I think this is a one of a kind. It was the collaboration with Ravi Restaurant that prompted me to come here, as this is something to collect."

The reselling of trainers is well known for being a lucrative business. In April 2021, a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s worn by rapper Kanye West sold for $1.8 million at Sotheby's, triple the previous record for trainers. In the same year a pair of Michael Jordan's Air Ships, worn by the decorated basketball player, sold for $1,472,000 at a Las Vegas sale.

Scroll through the gallery below to see pictures of Ravi Restaurant in Satwa