Adidas's new app is set to combat the frustration and pain that goes hand-in-hand with copping limited edition releases. The Confirmed app—which is being promoted closely with their Kanye West collaboration—allows New York-based sneakerheads with iPhones to hop in a virtual queue for exclusive kicks. Despite its geographic limits, Confirmed is part of Adidas' efforts to level the playing field, as Simon Atkins, Adidas' VP of Brand Activation, explained to Forbes, "People are faced with several issues that gets in the way of a seamless transaction...A lot of people believe the system is rigged. Because of a live re-sale industry, a lot of people trying to game the system. We've tried to be the first in the industry to cut through all of that." (They're not exactly the first—Kith NYC launched their own version back in November).
The app will also diminish the massive foot traffic that accompanies a launch, reducing security issue—as well as the threat of launches being shut down, like what happened with the Don C x Air Jordan 2 launch last week in NYC. Adidas promises more cities and smartphones will be supported soon, so stay tuned.