The shoe that launched an empire is up for auction at an eye-watering price. Although this seems like peak Kanye West activity, it’s actually not Kanye West Kanye Westing himself by selling the shoes for an exorbitant amount of money. In fact, the trainers are up for sale as part of an exclusive sneaker collection presented by auction house Sotheby’s.
Reportedly valued at more than $1 million dollars (although, as all Bargain Hunt aficionados know, the valuation is not always a reflection of the true price on auction day) the OG Yeezy trainers, designed with Nike, are being sold off by sneaker collector Ryan Chang.
“The Nike Air Yeezy I and Air Yeezy II are still some of the most coveted sneakers by collectors,” Sotheby’s said in a statement ahead of the sale. “Created exclusively for Kanye, the Air Yeezy was an entirely new silhouette – designed for an artist rather than an athlete – and paved the way for many of the artist collaborations of today”.
It might seem like a relic of the prehistoric, pre-hypebeast past, but believe it or not the OG Yeezy only debuted in 2008. Back in the halcyon days of the early Yeezy, we knew Kanye not as a fashion mogul or one-time Presidential hopeful, but as the man who brought us both bops and controversial awards show moments. The collaboration was relatively short lived too, which adds to the trainers’ rarity and resale value. In 2014, Kanye ditched Nike for Adidas, and the rest is history.
If you think that $1 million is perhaps a bit steep for a pair of trainers, but are based in Hong Kong and want to at least get a look, then the good news is that, ahead of the auction, Ryan’s coveted shoes are on public exhibition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre until Wednesday 21 April.