Christie’s Halts Sale Of World’s Most Expensive Shoes—By Kanye West—Amid Scandal
Earlier this year, Christie’s announced it was placing Kanye West’s prototype Nike Air YEEZYs on auction, following a private sale at Sotheby’s last year that saw the pair become the world’s most expensive sneakers at US$1.8 million.
However, due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the rapper’s anti-semitic remarks that saw him dropped by Adidas and Balenciaga, the auction house has now decided to cancel its sale of the luxury shoes.
Speaking to Artnet News, a Christie’s spokesperson said it will no longer, nor has any plans to, sell the product, which had been consigned to the auction house by Rares, an investment platform dabbling in fractional ownership of high-end footwear.
At the moment, there is no longer any mention of the sneakers on Rares’ website or social media platforms, though the company declined to comment on the status of the prototypes.
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Interestingly, as the publication noted, the Instagram account for Department X, Christie’s new luxury streetwear arm, has also disappeared. Could the timing just be a coincidence?
The sneakers were part of Department X’s first launch, titled ‘Ye Walks’, alongside another Air Jordan 6 ‘Donda’ sample, and were expected to fetch US$2.5 million and US$1 million respectively.
With how things are unfolding, it’s hard to tell if the storied shoes, which the rapper wore to the 2008 Grammy’s, will ever walk on the block again.
[via Artnet News and CNN, images via Photo 36031697 © Sbukley | Dreamstime.com and CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2022]
