Rapper Kanye West in November 2020 in New York. – AFP
A price well above the record in this area. A pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1 sneakers worn by their inspirer, rapper Kanye West, is being sold by Sotheby’s, which estimates it at over a million dollars.
The shoes are the subject of a private sale organized by the auction house, which means that neither the purchaser nor the final price will be known publicly, unless the purchaser decides to reveal himself.
Sneakers worn at the Grammy Awards 2008
These high-top black sneakers, unique model, are the very first pair of Yeezy presented publicly, at the feet of Kanye West, during the Grammy Awards 2008. Before collaborating with the rapper, producer and designer, Nike n ‘had baptized shoes only in the name of famous sportsmen.
The Air Yeezy 1 was finally launched, in limited series, in 2009, followed by the Air Yeezy 2 in 2012. The following year, Kanye West ended his partnership with Nike, deeming his share of the revenue insufficient.
He then partnered with Adidas in 2014, to create a dedicated brand Yeezy, a huge popular success, to the point of generating nearly $ 1.7 billion in revenue in 2020, according to an internal note from UBS bank, cited by Bloomberg. If he is not the designer of the Air Yeezy 1, Kanye West has had a lot of influence on the design of the shoe.
A pair of shoes presented in Hong Kong in April
The pair offered for sale through Sotheby’s is owned by Ryan Chang, a collector of some of the rarest sneakers on the market, and will be presented in Hong Kong from April 16 to 21.
The record for a pair of athletic shoes has been broken several times in recent years, the last by Nike Air Jordan 1s, which sold for $ 615,000 following a sale organized by Christie’s in mid-August 2020.