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Barack Obama is officially a statesman of sneaker culture, as a pair of kicks made in his honor will hit the market for a five-figure sum.
Nike designed the shoes exclusively for the former president and gifted them to him in 2009. The archival size 12.5 pair President Obama Player Nike Exclusive Hyperdunks will now be available for sale on the new ‘Buy Now’ e-commerce platform. from Sotheby’s for $ 25,000 on February 12. , at 4:44 p.m. EST.
This pair of Nike Hyperdunks is one of only two pairs ever made. Obama has never slipped into the sneakers that will sell on Sotheby’s, but Nike has kept this pair as the only official sample and, therefore, is in immaculate condition.
The custom designed model has exclusive features. Patriotic symbols adorn the high-rise silhouettes, which are white with blue Nike swooshes and red accents. The most notable detail is the presidential seal visible on the mesh tongue of each shoe.
The illustration on the insoles, meanwhile, features an eagle bearing the number 1776, marking the American Revolution. This design stems from the Nike Hyperdunk “United We Rise”, designed for the United States Olympic basketball team during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The medial toe displays the number 44 in blue with red contour stitching for Obama’s 44th presidency. To add to the presidential hype, the embroidered signature 44 is likely the reason why Sotheby’s scheduled the sale of these exclusive sneaks at 4:44 p.m. EST on February 12.
Long before he set foot on Capitol Hill, Obama loved to take to the courts. He played college and junior varsity basketball for his high school team, the Punahou School of Hawaii, winning the 1979 State Championship.
Obama continued to play basketball during his presidency, even sustaining injuries in a pickup match.
In 2009, the same year he received the Nike sneakers, the White House tennis court pavilion was turned into a makeshift basketball court for Obama.
These Hyperdunk sneakers are certified basketball shoes and were designed exclusively for Obama to harness. Nike has maintained a connection with Obama throughout his presidency and beyond. Last year, the company donated $ 5 million to the Obama Foundation, which will support the creation of more public space at the planned Presidential Center on Chicago’s south side. The center was designed to promote more physical activity and sport in the community.
While the price of this pair of Obama-inspired shoes is nowhere near the record-breaking Michael Jordan shoes at auction (a pair of Air Jordan 1s sold for $ 615,000 at Christie’s last year), these Hyperdunks from Obama will always be a great addition to any sneakerhead. collection. Thanks to Sotheby’s for turning this sale into a sale instead of an auction, as this historic pair is sure to deliver exceptional returns in the global sneaker resale market.
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