Matt Norris
An Adidas Nite Cash Card distributed to participants who waited in line at the free expression tunnel the night of Wednesday, April 24. These cards were given to the Adidas workers in the stands for a chance to win a free pair of shoes, a shirt, or stickers.
Students lined up from the Free Expression tunnel down to Bowen Residence Hall Wednesday evening for the chance to get the newest Adidas shoe, the Nite Joggers, for free. A flock of Adidas campus agents and other employees greeted the waiting students with energetic music and the chance to add their own inspiration to the mural that was painted.
Olivia McKinney, a fourth-year studying communication media, is an Adidas campus agent who helped arrange the event. She said the goal of the event was to get people aware of the new shoe that was released, but also commented on why NC State was chosen to be the only campus to showcase the new shoe.
“It really came together because NC State is known for its creators,” McKinney said. “We have a lot of arts departments, so design, fashion, architecture, things like that. Adidas really saw this campus as one that really embodies the shoe and embodies Original as a brand, so they wanted to bring it to NC State.”
Nick Krieminkski, the event producer, also spoke on how this event is the first release of the Nite Jogger in the United States after being released in Adidas’s global initiative.
McKinney also said that they would announce more giveaway events for the following weeks on their Instagram pages.
Diego Yanes, a second-year studying communications, was the first person in line and waited for three hours for the chance to win the shoes. Yanes expressed how he was happy that Adidas had a presence on campus.
“It’s wonderful that Adidas has this partnership with NC State and that their supporting campuses that are creative,” Yanes said. “And recognizing that NC State has such a diverse campus, and diverse in the sense that we have a lot of artistic people here, and they’re supporting that.”
While at the event, students had the chance to write what inspired them on the mural that was painted for the event. People wrote a variety of things from their family members, to their passions and even music artists like Chance the Rapper.
After signing, they would be able to go to the pop-up shop that was built in Wolf Plaza and get a lottery ticket which would tell them if they won a pair of Nite Joggers, custom t-shirts, or some other goods that they brought.
Kalynn Turner, a first-year student studying chemistry, also spoke on why she had come to the event.
“It’s been about an hour and a half since we’ve been here,” Turner said. “We were very confused on what was being built, and we asked they people. And then we were like, ‘Oh, free stuff!’”
While Turner said that her and her friend group had come for the incentive of free things, they were happy with the presence that Adidas had on campus and said they would go to other events that Adidas would host.