Reigning world and Olympic champ Kyle Snyder launched his first shoe line yesterday, and the response literally broke the internet. Well, at least the site on the internet selling his shoes.
Snyder's partnership with The Rudis launched a full line of Snyder-themed apparel and wrestling gear, including his Caliga line of wrestling shoes. The champ launched a presale at noon Sunday, coinciding with his appearance at the Fargo Junior Cadet Freestyle Nationals.
The response was... overwhelming.
We were prepared for more demand than we could have imagined. Turns out, you exceeded it. Thank you for your support.
— Kyle Snyder (@Snyder_man45) July 15, 2018
I will sign all shoes ordered in the next 24 hours, even when we go past the 2016. More updates will come soon.
Snyder was slated to sign the first 2016 pairs of shoes ordered during the presale (he won Olympic gold in 2016), but so many fans attempted to order the shoes that The Rudis site crashed shortly after the noon presale launch.
The people of wrestling and the enthusiasm for RUDIS shoes have exceeded all possible expectations.
— RUDIS (@the_rudis) July 15, 2018
You have blown us away with your patience and
persistence, and we thank you and love you for that. pic.twitter.com/87IFsgqG3o
As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, the site was still down.
Not a great look for the apparel company's biggest launch to date, but if anyone doubted Captain America's popularity in the wrestling community, this should put those doubts to rest.
UPDATE 2:21 p.m. - An email from The Rudis indicates that the presale has been rescheduled:
The wrestling community showed its power and desire yesterday afternoon in a way RUDIS has never experienced before.
Countless people were both patient and persistent. A small percentage were able to place orders despite the technical challenges. For those customers, thank you for your effort and for your order. We will fulfill your order as promised and are delighted to serve you.
For the many more eager fans that were not able to purchase, we apologize for the frustration. We realize that many of you sacrificed your Sunday for this event and appreciate your enthusiastic support.
In an effort to maintain the integrity of the priority presale and its benefits, as well as being considerate to all those who have been persistent and patient, we have decided to reschedule the presale launch for July 17 at 9pm EST.
We have also developed a dedicated shoe presale website www.rudiswrestlingshoes.com to ensure we can properly manage the massive traffic.
We have done this to provide a fair opportunity for those who are eager to participate.
Out of great love and appreciation for his fans and their continued support of his brand, Kyle Snyder has committed to signing all Snyder CALIGA shoes sold prior to July 18 at 9pm EST. However, only the first 2016 pair sold will be both signed and numbered.
Based upon the initial response we do expect to sell out of most styles and sizes. We apologize to anyone who is unable to purchase during this first release of our products.
Should you have any questions the best way to get ahold of us is by contacting us directly at info@therudis.com or 937-738-6900.
Thank you for demonstrating how truly special the wrestling community is. We are honored to serve and represent the people and the legacy of the greatest sport in the world.
