Thieves Steal Thousands Of Pairs Of Nikes Including Nigel Sylvester’a Air Jordan 4 “Brick By Brick”
Written by djfrosty on February 25, 2025
Source: @nigelsylvester / Instagram
Once again, sneaker heists have become a topic of discussion in the sneaker community as bandits made off with thousands of pairs of one of this year’s most anticipated upcoming releases.
According to The Los Angeles Times, thieves in Arizona, Texas, pulled off quite the jux last month when they stole 2,000 pairs of sneakers off an BNSF freight train, many of which were pairs of the Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4 “Brick By Brick.”
Already regarded by many in the sneaker community as the “Shoe of the Year,” the “Brick By Brick” Air Jordan 4s have the kind of hype behind its release that we haven’t seen in quite some time, so when word of the heist hit the internet, many sneakerheads were furious that there would be less pairs to be had for retail, as it’s already a limited edition sneaker.
Authorities were able to arrest the group of thieves and interestingly enough they were undocumented immigrants.
Per The Los Angeles Times:
New sneaker releases may have touched off at least some of the recent incidents. In Perrin, Ariz., thieves allegedly cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train on Jan. 13 and unloaded 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nikes worth more than $440,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix. Many were Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which won’t be available to the public until March 14 and are expected to retail at $225 per pair, the complaint states.
Theft crews typically scout high-value merchandise on rail lines that parallel Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains, such as when they are changing tracks and opening containers, said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk’s CargoNet and a deputy sheriff in Arizona.
Lewis said the thieves are sometimes tipped off to valuable shipments by confederates working at warehouses or trucking companies. Other times they simply look for containers with high-security locks, which they cut with reciprocating saws or bolt cutters, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent said in affidavits filed in federal court.
Of the 11 people arrested for the Jan. 13 heist, nine were Mexican citizens illegally in the U.S. and were charged with illegal reentry after removal and six were charged with improper entry. Five of those detained pleaded not guilty while the other six have yet to enter their own pleas.
While the people behind the theft have been apprehended, there’s no word on whether the sneakers were retrieved. That’s all us sneakerheads really care about because damnit, man! We want those kicks! Go ambush a truck filled with adidas Sambas or Crocs or something, b.
What do y’all think about this crazy heist? Let us know in the comments section below.