auction
In the footsteps of Steve Jobs: the Apple founder’s Birkenstock sandals are for sale
Apple founder Steve Jobs was a friend of simple clothes – in the seventies the tech pioneer preferred to wear Birkenstocks.
© DPA
It may be almost impossible to follow in the footsteps of Apple founder Steve Jobs. Well, unless you just buy your old slippers. They’re up for auction now – the current bid is $22,500.
Apple founder Steve Jobs’ wardrobe was functional, high-quality and deadly boring. The former head of what was at times the most valuable company in the world always relied on a small selection, made the black turtleneck and the round glasses world-famous. Since the 1990s, Steve has mostly appeared on stage in sneakers, but in the 1970s and 1980s, Jobs relied on open-toed shoes from the traditional German manufacturer Birkenstock.
Unsurprisingly, once these shoes had served Jobs, they ended up in the trash. But his property manager at the time, Mark Sheff, wisely fished the old slippers out of the bin. Steve kept very little at the time, Sheff revealed in an older interview with Business Insider. The shoes were already part of an auction in 2016. At that time they fetched a price of 2750 US dollars.
Involuntary estate of Steve Jobs
The shoes are just a small part of Jobs’ more or less voluntary estate. His employees apparently emptied the garbage cans thoroughly several times. The loot was shared with the gardeners, friends or second-hand shops, Sheff explained at the time. On a Facebook site you get an impression of the collection that has accumulated over the years.
It is unclear who will release the shoes for sale again. But the fact is: Steve’s old slippers are clearly proving to be an ingenious investment. Because in just a few years, the value has multiplied, the current bid at Julien’s Auctions stands at $22,500.
Birkenstocks are “very used”
The auction house describes the Birkis as “very used” but “intact”. Each sandal features Birkenstock’s original adjustable buckles and embossing on the inner edge of the suede ankle straps. The cork and jute footbed bears the imprint of Steve Jobs’ feet, sculpted over years of use. The rubber soles of the sandals show strong signs of wear. A hard case is included for storage and portability.
Condition “very used” – yes, you can call it that.
© Julien’s Auctions
It’s hard to believe that shoes that cost over $20,000 actually don’t have a sizing number. The auction house, where the Birkenstocks are now for sale, informed him star upon request with: “Unfortunately, there are no markings indicating the size on the sandal. These have fallen victim to wear and tear. The footprint on the sandal is approximately 11 inches (28 centimeters, ed. ed.) long. The Footbed is quite wide.” If you take this foot length as a benchmark, that would correspond to shoe size 45 in the EU and 11 in the United States – actually too small, because reports about the feet of the Apple founder say that Jobs had a shoe size between 46 and 47.5.
By the way: If you want the Jobs shoes for less money and are looking for the modern equivalent of the model, you could find what you are looking for in the “Arizona” model in the color “Mink”. There are unworn copies directly from the manufacturer for 105 euros.