Sneakerheads take note: right now, in New York, the US outpost of Sotheby’s is currently housing 100 of the world’s rarest and most sought-after sneakers. Presented in partnership with Stadium Goods, the collection is made up of uber-rare styles from the likes of adidas, Nike, and Yeezy – all of which are on display and ready to be bid on.
The proclaimed crown jewel of the auction is undoubtedly Nike’s Moon Shoe; a result of Nike co-founder and track coach Bill Bowerman experimenting with his wife’s waffle-iron. An important piece in Nike’s history, only 12 pairs of the style were handmade for the 1972 Olympic Trials. According to Sotheby’s, this particular set is the only unworn pair to ever become available, which has skyrocketed their estimated price to $160,000. So you know, pretty reasonable.
Elsewhere, Nike continues to dominate the auction, with the limited edition 2011 and 2016 versions of the Back to the Future Part II-inspired sneakers also included among the styles up for grabs. The 2016 version, one of only 89 pairs produced and complete with self-lacing technology, is estimated to sell for about $70,000.
Stadium Goods co-founder John McPheters told the Guardian “We’ve long talked about how sneakers are this generation’s luxury fashion, and being able to collaborate with a brand with the history and esteem of Sotheby’s is further proof of that,” while global head of eCommerce at Sotheby’s, Noah Wunsch described the sale as a way to bring together “art, culture and fashion”.
Other gems on the line-up include one pair of Pharrell Williams’ adidas NMD sneakers, personally designed by the artist for Karl Lagerfeld, five pairs of multi-platinum rapper Travis Scott’s purple suede Nike sneakers for the Jordan 4 “Cactus Jack” collection, four pairs of rapper-turned-designer Kanye West’s Yeezy Boost 350, and multiple pairs from designer Virgil Abloh’s partnerships with Nike.
The auction runs from today (July 12) through to July 23 if you happen to have a few thousand $ lying around.