Kanye West's 'Grammy-Worn’ prototype Nike Air Yeezys on sale at Sotheby's, valued at $1mn

A prototype pair of Kanye West‘s first Yeezy shoes are set to go up for sale at Sotheby’s, and the sneakers are expected to fetch over $1 million (£727,650). Kanye popularly wore Nike shoes in February 2008 during his 50th Grammy Awards performance. Nike had launched the multi-billion-dollar-valued Yeezy sneakers and clothing line that very year. The singer had split with Nike in 2013 in order to partner Yeezy with Adidas. “Nike Air Yeezy I and Air Yeezy II are still some of the most coveted sneakers by collectors” and, as a result, West’s prototype pair in question are the most valuable sneakers ever to be sold by the auction house,” Sotheby's said in a statement. The auction house ran multiple updates across its social media handles. “Dropping today: Kanye West ‘Grammy Worn’ Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes, the iconic sneakers worn during the artist’s memorable and emotional performance of ‘Hey Mama’ and ‘Stronger’ at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008,” it wrote on Instagram. 

[Image Credit: Sotheby's auction website]

Nike’s redefining signature shoe owned by Kanye is currently on exhibition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 16 to April 21. The interested buyers have been asked to submit offers directly to Sotheby’s for consideration. Sotheby's described the pair as “one of the most brilliant reveals in sneaker history” and “shoe that was unlike any community had seen before” that was wrong by the singer at a critical moment of his music career. Kanye won awards for four categories (including Best Rap Album), as he introduced the Air Yeezy to the world as he set off the modern sneaker culture. “Today the multibillion-dollar Adidas Yeezy brand is an industry titan,” the auction house said.  

External consultants detect authenticity

Kanye’s sneakers were originally sold as ‘Grammy Worn’ in benefit of a charity Nike frequently supports, the Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Sotheby’s also utilized external consultants to photo-analyze the sneakers, comparing them against the one Kanye wore during Grammy’s performance that evening. The brand analyzed the build, tagging, box, and makeup to determining the sneaker’s authenticity as it collaborated with Suede One to complete side-by-side comparisons of the present-day pair with photos of Kanye’s shoes. The Grammy Air Yeezy samples were built-in Nike’s lab, known as the ‘Innovation Kitchen’ at the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. “Creative Director Mark Smith kept the project so under wrap that he released the shoes to Kanye for the Grammys with the condition that they would be returned as soon as possible following the performance,” Sotheby’s informed. 

(Image Credit: AP/Twitter/@sothebys)