NCAA’s March Madness may be over, but America’s love for pizza isn’t going anywhere. In fact, a Harris Poll confirmed that pizza is Americans’ number one favorite comfort food. Now, Pizza Hut’s reissue of its promotional “Pie Tops” sneakers will make it even easier for sports fans to order their favorite food without missing a minute of the game.
The popular pizza chain first introduced its quirky, limited edition sneakers — which are equipped with Bluetooth technology that allows wearers to instantly order a pizza via a special phone app — last year during this time. Considering the shoes’ shiny exterior and sense of novelty, usefulness, and non-obviousness, it seems like they have the patent game all tied up (in “extra cheese pull laces”). This year, they’ve actually added additional features. Not only are the shoes available in two colors (a saucy red and a neutral wheat), but they now have the ability to pause your DVR receiver so you don’t miss a pivotal play.
Of course, the shoe is a clear publicity stunt, but it’s no April Fool’s Joke. The shoes were actually available for purchase in limited quantities and free pairs are up for grabs through various social media contests and raffles. Some who have actually tried out the shoes were impressed by the pizza delivery speed and surprised by how fashionable they actually are.
Although 53% of people who own a promotional item use that item at least once a week, most promotional products aren’t nearly as cute or as fun to use. While some might argue the shoes aren’t exactly a necessity, they do show how much effort Pizza Hut puts in to ensuring its continued relevance. The company’s goal was to create buzz, especially after they were named Papa John’s replacement as the NFL’s official sponsor back in February. But because only 50 pairs of the shoes were made available for purchase — and they cost $150 a pop — it’s a (dough) toss-up as to whether the bulk of America will ever get to order their dinner via their feet.
If you aren’t able to order a pizza directly from the tongue of your shoes, at least you’ll still get to taste the deliciousness in your mouth any time you want. After all, ordering a pizza has never been all that difficult in the first place. Deciding what to order, however, may be a different story — especially now that Pizza Hut has rolled out a new option that offers 25% more cheese than before. Still, when it comes to ordering a pizza or purchasing a pair of Pie Tops, customers will have to “cheese” the day if they want to get a slice of the action.
