South Korean election: Lee Jae-myung’s ‘bipartisan’ Reeboks sell out as prices skyrocket

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung blue-and-red “bipartisan” trainers that symbolise unity between liberal and conservative voters sold out overnight

Trainers similar to the “bipartisan” pair worn by South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung when launching his campaign on Monday sold out overnight, causing prices for the footwear to skyrocket.

The front-runner from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea swapped out his dress shoes for classic blue-and-red Reebok trainers as he kicked off his 22-day official campaign for the June 3 presidential election at Cheonggye Plaza near Seoul.

The shoes were deliberately chosen for their “bipartisan” colours, symbolising Lee’s pledge to bring together the country’s liberal and conservative voters, according to local media. Blue is typically associated with the liberal party, while red is the colour of the conservative camp.

In addition, the retro-looking shoes featured embroidered patches with the slogans “Lee Jae-myung, Now More Than Ever”, on the left and “From now on, the real Republic of Korea”, on the right.

“We no longer have time to fight over ideology. There are no longer progressive or conservative problems, but only Korean citizens’ problems,” Lee said in his campaign speech, according to The Korea Herald newspaper.

Launched in 2022, the shoes originally sold for 89,000 won (US$63). However, due to declining sales, some retailers offered significant discounts, reducing the price to around 35,600 won.

But, that changed almost immediately after Lee slipped on the trainers, catching the eye of South Koreans wanting a piece of “election merchandise”.

The shoes sold out on Reebok’s official Korea online store on the day of the rally, and by Tuesday, all stocks were gone on e-commerce platforms Coupang, Gmarket and Auction, local media reported. Resellers are now listing them for as much as 339,300 won, an almost tenfold increase overnight, according to The Korea Herald.

Those eager to get their hands on the shoes will need to either pay the inflated price or wait for new shipments from factories in countries such as Vietnam. However, Reebok Korea told The Korea Times that there is no indication of how long the wait will be, as no decision has been made regarding additional imports.

Lee referenced the trainers in his social media posts on Tuesday, according to the Maeil Business Newspaper, saying: “We have taken the first step of the K-initiative with your hope by tying the red and blue trainers tightly. I took the first step on a great journey with the people.”