Kanye West's Grammy Yeezys Get $1M Auction Valuation
New York, NY – Anyone who literally tries to put themselves in Kanye West’s shoes has to be a millionaire.
According to a press release, Elite New York auction company Sotheby’s is selling the billionaire “Can Tell Me Nothing” rapper’s “Grammy worn” Nike Air Yeezy 1s sneakers from 2008 at a $1 million benchmark.
Sotheby’s released a statement that its company is making the shoes available for direct purchase via “private sale.” Interested parties are invited to submit offers directly to Sotheby’s for consideration.
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The Nike Air Yeezy 1s’ priced in excess of $1 million is a record-high for Sothesby’s and one of the highest valued sneakers on the market.
The shoes’ prototypes were made by Nike exclusively for West in 2008. He wore the sneakers during his memorable performance of “Stronger,” the lead single of chart-topping third album’s Graduation, with French electro-dance duo Daft Punk and his emotional rendition of “Hey Mama” dedicated to his late mother Donda West at the 50th annual Grammy Awards in 2008.
“This pair is critical to the development of the Yeezy franchise, which has become one of the most important sneaker and lifestyle brands in history,” Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear & Modern Collectables Brahm Wachter said in the release. “Debuted on-stage at the Grammys in 2008, the sneakers set off waves in the sneaker community as people tried to identify the mysterious pair.”
West’s Yeezy sneakers have since been one of the most coveted sneakers in history after he continued the brand with Adidas for his Yeezy Season 1 collection in 2015.
Renowned sneaker collector and curator of Applied Arts NYC Ryan Chang is the propietor of the luxurious sneakers. He will make them open for bidding in a public exhibition from April 16-21 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“As a collector, I’ve always considered sneakers to be design objects – a physical confluence of artistry, history, and in this case, music,” Chang said. “The Air Yeezy Prototype is particularly special to me because it captured the cultural moment in 2008 so perfectly. There he was, Kanye West, on stage at the Grammys, winning 4 awards just that evening, and unveiling an incredibly important and iconic design in Nike’s storied history.”