Kanye West’s Nike Air YEEZYs Become Most Valuable Sneakers Ever After $1.8M Sale
Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Earlier this month, it was announced that Kanye West’s prototype Nike Air YEEZYs, which he wore to the 2008 Grammy Awards, was going on sale for over US$1 million at Sotheby’s.
Now, the auction house has announced that it has set a new record for the world’s most valuable sneakers, with the pair going for US$1.8 million. It is also reportedly the first pair of sneakers to break the US$1 million mark.
The footwear was sold privately to the investment platform RARES, which buys and flips highly sought-after shoes. Founder and CEO of RARES, Gerome Sapp, said its goal to purchase “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,” as per Artnet News.
Sotheby’s had hailed the shoes as “one of the most prized and sought-after sneakers in existence,” and it sure is, after smashing the previous auction record by about three times.
“The sale speaks volumes of Kanye’s legacy as one of the most influential clothing and sneaker designers of our time,” said Brahm Wachter, Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectibles at Sotheby’s.
World Record: This pair of Kanye West ‘Grammy Worn’ Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes from 2008 sold for $1.8 million today. Acquired by sneaker investing platform @raresapp via private sale, the pair set a new world record price for a pair of sneakers. https://t.co/bdgKtrHLY2
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) April 26, 2021
[via Artnet News, cover image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]
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