Kanye West sneakers for Adidas on the verge of achieving millionaire status at auction | TRENDS
The shoes that the American musician Kanye West designed for Nike and who helped turn athletic shoes into a coveted fashion item will go on sale in Sotheby’swith an estimated price of more than US$1 million.
The shoes are prototypes of the Yeezy line developed by West and Mark Smith for Nike, and worn by the rapper during his performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards.
Sotheby’s said prototypes of the Nike Air Yeezy 1 will be offered for a private sale starting Monday. The auction house called the shoe one of the most valuable sneakers to ever hit the market.
Sneakers have become collector’s items in recent years, joining more traditional goods such as art, wine and jewelry at the world’s great auction houses.
In 2019, Sotheby’s held its first auction dedicated entirely to sneakers. In May of last year, he sold a pair of Air Jordan 1s, designed and worn by basketball player Michael Jordan, for the then world record $560,000.
The Size 12 Black Leather Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes feature a Yeezy strap at the front and closures on a branded Y-shaped medallion in pink.
West wore them for his emotional performances of “Hey Mama” and “Stronger” at the 2008 Grammy Awards, sending fashionistas into a social media frenzy.
They were later sold at a charity auction and will be put up for sale by New York collector Ryan Chang at Sotheby’s.
Brahm Wachter, director of modern streetwear and collectibles at Sotheby’s, said the sneakers were “critical to the development of the Yeezy franchise, which became one of the most important sneaker and lifestyle brands in history.” .
West ended his collaboration with Nike in 2013 and brought the brand to Adidas. Forbes said last week that Yeezy generated an estimated $1.7 billion in sales in 2020.
