Sotheby's auction of rare sneakers exceeds $ 850,000

A collection of sneakers was auctioned for $ 850,000 (£ 690,000) to Canadian entrepreneur Miles Nadal.

Sotheby's has put on sale in New York 100 pairs of the rarest sneakers ever manufactured by Nike, Adidas and Air Jordan.

All couples except one went to Mr. Nadal. The 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat Moon was still on sale during the week-long auction.

According to Noah Wunsch, of Sotheby's, these sneakers are now collectibles, which should bring in $ 160,000.

The sale also included two pairs of Nike Mags, shoes made famous in 1989's Back to the Future Part II because of their automatic lacing – a technology that the company did not actually market until almost three decades ago. later.

The limited edition Back to the Future 2016 sneakers would have cost between $ 50,000 and $ 70,000.

Another star of the auction was the Jeter Air Jordan 11 edition, created to commemorate the retirement of Yankee New York baseball star Derek Jeter in 2017. Only five pairs were made. It is estimated that they sold for nearly $ 60,000.

Mr. Nadal told CNBC television that he planned to put the sneakers on at his Dare to Dream car museum in Toronto, which houses a collection of 142 cars and 40 motorcycles.

"I have always been a pbadionate and a lover of unique art and collectibles that represent innovative design, exceptional craftsmanship and new and exciting trends in pop culture," did he declare.

We did not know if he was bidding for the last pair auctioned. The Nike Waffle Moon shoes were designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman.

In the Olympic trials of 1972, only 12 pairs were made for the riders. Auctioned pairs are thought to be the only ones not to have been worn.

Mr. Wunsch, Global Head of E-Commerce at Sotheby's, said Mr. Bowerman had literally used a waffle iron to print the sole of the shoes.

The interest in the auction showed that sneakers were considered works of folk art.

"I think it's a really fascinating time in the world, where it's not so much the culture of the sneaker, it's just the culture, we see the fashion, we see it." We see luxury playing in the same field, "he said.

The highest price obtained at a public sneaker auction is estimated at $ 190,373 for a pair of Converse shoes signed worn by Michael Jordan in the 1984 Olympic basketball final. The shoes were sold at auction in California in 2017.