Nike has been trying for a long time to find a way to combat the wave of Bots, Exploits and Early Links (oh-my!) that have kept the hottest releases out of the hands of every-day sneakerheads. Some of these practices tend to line the pockets of resellers and end up tipping the market. Nike has tried RSVP systems, TLO launches and captcha verification but still haven’t successfully fought off the resellers.

The latest method implemented by nike to balance the odds is the countdown timer. Originally introduced with the Kobe 9 Philippines leading to a disastrous launch, they’ve started adding the countdown method to the most coveted launches.

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Much like the introduction of TLO launches, this lead to an almost panic over which launches would or would not have countdown timers. The timer renders some bots and all early links nearly useless. Now Nike has started giving us a heads up on when to expect a countdown by adding the info on the release page.

This week we can expect a countdown on nearly all the releases altho the information is notably missing from next weeks hot drops. Keep your eyes on our Early Links page, we will note any launches that will cary the countdown timers giving yo the heads up you need to cop your kicks.