Unreleased Air Jordan 11 shoes worth over $200,000 were stolen from a train container

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One of the most anticipated sneaker collections of the holiday season was allegedly the target of a brazen theft in a remote California desert town.

California Highway Patrol announced on Friday that in Anaheim, California, seven people were arrested after police discovered stolen Nike shoes worth more than $200,000 in a U-Haul truck. The shoes were reportedly stolen Thursday from a detained rail container near the Mojave Desert and then transported nearly 200 miles south to Anaheim. However, the CHP Border Division’s Cargo Theft Prevention Program tracked the truck’s route and stopped it Friday morning.

Air Jordan 11 Retro “Legend Blue” sneakers and tools allegedly used to steal the shoes from a train container. Source: @CHP_Border

Inside, the highway patrol found stolen Nike Jordan sneakers worth more than $200,000, all of which are believed to be Christmas “Legend Blue” (aka “Columbia”) Air Jordan 11 Retro. Photos released by the CHP show a U-Haul vessel filled with shipping boxes and their contents, as well as tools that police say were used to gain access to the train’s container.

All seven suspects, whose identities have not been released, have been charged with cargo theft and are being held in the Orange County Jail awaiting trial.

“The quick actions of our CTIP unit and patrol officers demonstrate the CHP’s commitment to combating organized cargo theft and ensuring the recovery of stolen goods,” said Tommie Cocroft, CHP Border Division Chief.

This isn’t the first time the Air Jordan 11 Retro has been the target of a large-scale pre-release holiday theft. IN December 2017two men entered a Nike store in Manhattan and left with 30 pairs of Air Jordan 11 Retro “Win Like ’96” sneakers.

The Air Jordan 11 Retro “Legend Blue” is scheduled to release on December 14 for a retail price of $230. Assuming that each stolen shoe is in fact a “Legend Blue” Jordan 11, the total number of pairs recovered will be just under 900.

Boxes of Stolen Air Jordan 11 Retro “Legend Blue” Shoes After California Highway Patrol Shoe Bust. Source: @CHP_Border

Suspects arrested after California Highway Patrol sneaker crash. Source: @CHP_Border

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