
Rapper and billionaire Kanye West's first-ever pair of Air Yeezy sneakers is being auctioned at Sotheby's and it's bound to beat the record for their most expensive shoe listing ever.
The first pair of Yeezys that Kanye wore in 2008 during his 50th Grammy Awards performance of “Hey Mama” and “Stronger” is expected to fetch US$1 million or around P48.39 million.
Aside from being the first pair-ever of his collaboration with Nike, the black, size 12 Air Yeezy 1 prototypes also hold a sentimental value for Kanye.
At the time that Kanye debut the said pair of sneakers, his mother Donda passed away a few months earlier and he won four Grammy awards that night for his 2007 album “Graduation.”
Kanye was the first non-athlete to be given a shoe deal with Nike, and he ultimately paved the way for other artists like himself.
In 2019 Kanye told Forbes, “It was the first shoe to have the same level of impact as an Air Jordan and I wanted to do more. And at that time Nike refused to give celebrities royalties on their shoes.”
Speaking of Air Jordan, the pair of shoes that currently holds the record for the most expensive shoes ever sold is a pair of autographed Nike Air Jordan 1s worn by NBA legend Michael Jordan in 1985.
It reportedly sold for $615,000 at an auction in Christie's in May 2020.
In an Instagram post, auction house Sotheby's explained why Kanye's Air Yeezy is iconic and groundbreaking.
“The Air Yeezy was an entirely new silhouette - created for an artist rather than an athlete and paved the way for many of the artist collaborations of today.”
Sotheby's also called the sneakers “one of the most prized and sought-after sneakers in existence.”
The said pair of shoes up for auction is currently owned by renowned sneaker collector and curator Ryan Chang.
It is on offer via a private sale by Sotheby's but will be on display in a public exhibition from April 16 to 20 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
So, if you ever wanted to walk a mile in Kanye West's shoes--and have extra US$1 million in your bank account--now's your chance to make that a reality.
For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.
You might also want to check out Lil Nas X's controversial “Satan Shoes.”