Free Nikes in Alaska

Shoes washing up on a beach near-- well, probably near someone:

ANCHORAGE (AP) - Thousands of pairs of Nike basketball shoes are washing up on beaches from Washington state to Alaska after spilling from a container ship in Northern California.

...

"Nike forgot to tie the laces, so you have to find mates," said Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an oceanographer who tracks sneakers, toys and other flotsam across the sea. "The effort's worth it 'cause these Nikes have only been adrift a few months. All 33,000 are wearable!"

I guess the "air" really does have a purpose. Meanwhile, the idea that these shoes might be wearable even after months in salt water makes me wonder what kinds of chemicals they treat them with.