27th April, 2021
By Taiwo Okanlawon
A pair of sneakers worn by US rapper Kanye West, to perform at the 2008 Grammy Awards, has been auctioned for a record $1.8 million by Sotheby’s, a US-based multinational corporation.
According to Sotheby’s which broke the news on Monday, the sneakers were bought at a private sale by RARES, a sneaker investing platform.
They officially the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold, breaking its Sotheby’s $560,000 recorded in May last year for a pair of Michael Jordan’s 1985 Air Jordan 1s.
West had stormed the Grammy stage with the Nike Air Yeezy samples, which were prototypes for a line developed by the rapper and Mark Smith for Nike, in 2008.
The rapper wore them during his memorable and emotional performance of Hey Mama and Stronger, his two hit singles at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.
Ryan Chang, a New York-based sneaker collector, had put up the pair of sneakers for sale at Sotheby’s on April 13.
The black leather, size 12 Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes have a Yeezy forefoot strap and the brand’s signature Y medallion lace locks in pink.
Commenting on the development, Gerome Sapp, RARES co-founder and CEO, said: “Our goal in purchasing such an iconic shoe – and a piece of history – is to increase accessibility and empower the communities that birthed sneaker culture with the tools to gain financial freedom through RARES.”
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, also said the deal was indicative of West’s influential personality in the fashion industry.
“The sale speaks volumes of Kanye’s legacy as one of the most influential clothing and sneaker designers of our time,” he said.