We have either used the story or heard the story in our careers, but it appears that containers really DO fall off of boats in the Pacific Ocean.
The west coast press was abuzz from San Francisco to Alaska last week as it was widely reported-as far away as Ireland and South Africa-that there were over 20,000 pairs of Nike basketball shoes afloat in the ocean after a container ship lost ten containers overboard due to storms that as it rocked the ship almost 20 degrees to one side at times.
The shoes, box-less and lace-less, have been washing up on the northwest shore and are reportedly heading for Alaska in a strong current.
Making lemonade out of lemons, Nike spokesman Lee Weinstein quipped, “If you cant find a match, send the shoe back to us and well recycle it.”
Nike grinds down old shoes to use as athletic field surfacing, Weinstein said.
The company was fully insured against loss.
