Ottawa residents brave the cold to buy bagel-inspired Nike shoes

Devout sneaker heads braved the bitter cold in the nation's capital on Sunday as local shops hosted early sales of Nike’s latest dunk lows shoes, dubbed the ‘Montreal Bagel’.

"I got here at 5 a.m.," Aidan Parke said as he waited patiently outside Stomping Ground clothing store before the 10:30 a.m. opening.

"Ready to get some shoes; some bagel shoes."

Parke was the first in line to get his hands on a pair of the Nike shoes inspired by a Montreal icon.

Retailed at $160, the Nike website says the shoe officially drops Tuesday. Some Canadians got early access. On Friday, Montrealers endured a snowstorm, lining up around the block for the sought-after item.

"I tried to purchase them on the early release online but they sold out within a minute and I couldn’t get them," said Sam Fortin, who was hoping to snag his very own pair. 

The hype goes beyond the shoe. The custom box itself was designed in collaboration with Montreal-based artist Chien Champion.

Sprinkled with sesame seed graphics and a pinch of Montreal blue, these Canadian inspired kicks aren’t just influenced by la belle province - they also have an Ottawa connection.

"One of my friends (from Ottawa) worked on the project; he worked at Nike," Dominic Bonin said. "Really proud of him for dropping that shoe. He worked with the designer on it."

At NRML on Rideau Street no lines on Sunday, but a steady flow of customers. While some look to resell their pair for nearly double the cost, others plan to keep it for themselves.

"Growing up in Ottawa, you have a close relationship with bagels and Montreal so I might as well rep both those things when I’m walking around town," said Owen Baker.

With shoes in hand, Parke has one more stop before making his way back to Metcalfe. A trip to Kettleman’s for some hot Montreal-style sesame seed bagels to go with his fresh new pair of kicks.

"You got to go to Kettleman’s," said Park