A pair of Nike Air Yeezys, previously rocked by Kanye West are now officially the most expensive shoe in the world.
According to CNN Style, the pair of Nike Air Yeezys Prototypes sold for a massive $1.8 million in a private sale, which has been confirmed by the Sotheby’s auction house via a statement at the beginning of the week.
As per CNN Style, the shoes’ valuation according to Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables, Brahm Wachter the shoes were so highly valued due to Yeezy’s “cultural impact”. Now that the shoes have sold, Wachter added,”speaks volumes of Kanye’s legacy as one of the most influential clothing and sneaker designers of our time.”
The pair of Yeezys aren’t just any pair, they are the Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes, the exact pair that the ‘Stronger’ rapper rocked at during his performance of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008. As per the press release, they’re described as “one of the most prized and sought-after sneakers in existence.”
The shoes were originally estimated to be valued worth $1 million, however the shoe resulted in nearly doubling that original valuation. Not only that, the pair of Yeezys have now also surpassed the most expensive pair of shoes on ever, breaking the record previously held by a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s worn by Michael Jordan wore in 1985, commemorating the iconic moment when he shattered the backboard during a pre-season game in Italy. The pair sold for $615,000 at a Christie’s auction back in May last year.
The Yeezys were put up for auction by a sneaker collector by the name of Ryan Cheng and now have a new owner, having been acquired by an investing platform known as RARES, where users can buy and trade shares in rare sneakers. RARE’s CEO and co-founder Gerome Sapp issued a statement, likening the acquisition to purcashing “a piece of history”.
He continued, “Our goal in purchasing such an iconic shoe is to increase accessibility and empower the communities that birthed sneaker culture with the tools to gain financial freedom through RARES.”
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Watch Kanye West perform at the 2008 Grammy Awards.
