They were all in line waiting for the most sought after shoe of the season.
"There are Jordans that just came out, the Cool Grays," said eyewitness Trevon Davis.
"Some people didn't get a chance to get in," said witness Aaron Perkins.
But not everyone was waiting patiently and when the malls planned to open at 6am, it began to go awry.
"They are bomb rushing, running in, and pushing in everybody out the way in line so they can get them or get a chance to get them," said Davis.
"People got pushed down the stairs. I saw it," said another eyewitness.
Multiple Harris County sheriff's deputies and Precinct 4 deputies converged on the mall to keep everyone in order. By mid-morning, the crowd was under control and all that waiting was apparently worth it as some walked out with the sought-after $200 Air Jordans.
"These are for my cousin. I did all of this for my cousin," said shopper Akem Baer. "I did all of this for her so she better have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Kwanzaa."
There was no word of any major injuries.
There was a similar scene at Greenspoint Mall, where large crowds had gathered for the shoes. Police moved the crowds into the parking lot until a door opened. And when it did, people started running as fast as they could to get inside so they could buy the shoes.
A huge crowd also gathered at the Northline Mall location.
