According to Sotheby’s auction house, which is hosting the sale, the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes, which the American rapper introduced at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008, would be among the most expensive shoes ever sold.
The shoes, described as “one of the most coveted and sought-after sneakers in existence” in a press statement, will be sold privately after appearing on exhibition in Hong Kong later this month. Sotheby’s didn’t say how much the piece was worth, but it was “in excess of $1 million,” according to the auction house.
While there is no known private sneaker sale record, a seven-figure price tag would smash the existing auction record of $615,000 established by a pair of signed Nike Air Jordan 1s worn by Michael Jordan in 1985 at Christie’s in May 2020.
The prototype Yeezys are available in a size 12, which is West’s shoe size, and were put on the market by sneaker collector Ryan Cheng. The value is based on the brand’s cultural relevance, according to Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s director of streetwear and modern collectibles.
He noted via email that “this pair is fundamental to the creation of the Yeezy franchise, which has become one of the most influential sneakers and lifestyle brands in history.”
West had recently released his third studio album, “Graduation,” which had sold about a million copies at the time. He sang “Hey Mama” during an emotional Grammys performance to remember his mother, Donda West, who had died just three months before.
Source: cnn
