It was a stampede across the Nike showrooms in the U.S. on Friday as shoppers tried to get a pair of the classic black and white Air Jordan model 11 Retro Concords, it has been reported.

Police had to use pepper spray to control the unruly shoppers as they jostled, pushed and fought to own the pair of shoes. The situation was the same across the showrooms, from North Carolina to Washington State in early morning on December 23.

There were reports of even criminal elements involved in the stampede in Seattle and Indianapolis, according to the police. Officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd of 1,000 to 2,000 people at the Westfield South Center mall, in Tukwila, a Seattle suburb.

"They were fights starting to break out, some people trying to push, some people trying to get ahead in line, and that resulted in fights. Officers used pepper spray to disrupt some of those fights," the AFP has quoted Mike Murphy, officer of the Tukwila police department, Seattle, as saying.

Incidents of stampede were reported across three malls in Indianapolis, Omaha Crossroads Mall in Omaha, North Carolina-area malls, stores in Ohio and Nebraska.

A pair of Air Jordan shoes was priced at $180 (£115) in stores on Friday which was already been advertised on eBay for $605.

Air Jordan shoes were initially released in 1996 and are made popular by the former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan.