When we hear the word auction, we immediately think about a posh setting. You know, raising number cards with aristocrats outbidding each other for a piece of art. Well, that could’ve been the case years and years ago. Now though, the sneaker industry made its way to the auctions. And if you ask us, that’s a much, much more expensive and exclusive version of sneaker reselling. Now, let’s check out the most expensive sneaker auctions, with Yeezy Solar Red spearheading the list!
In 2022, We’re Getting All Types of Auctions!
So, you’d think that auctioning and bidding would be limited to physical objects. However, if 2021 taught us anything, it’s that the future is kinda more than that! The metaverse is imminent, and NFTs are the next big thing. And if the sneaker industry can break through that, so can auctions!
In fact, one of the biggest auction companies is breaking into the world of NFTs. Sotheby’s have already set up their NFT auction page. That’s not all, though, because they now have their own exclusive NFTs. They collaborated with Hackatao, one of the earliest “crypto artists,” on a very nice Queens+Kings collection. Now, let’s get back to the physical world and find out how Yeezy Solar Red became the most expensive sneakers ever!
Yeezy Solar Red – Making Sneaker History Since 2008
It’s 2008, and the Grammy Awards are here. Kanye West had 8 nominations that year, 4 of which he won! However, that was not the highlight for the fans because Ye gave an epic performance on the stage. And that performance actually threw the sneaker industry into a storm of hype! Why? Because Nike just made the most epic sneaker reveal with a brand new sneaker design on Ye’s feet. Keep in mind that rumors have been flying for about a year that Kanye and Nike were up to something!
The Grammy Worn prototype was kind of an initial version of the first Air Yeezy 1s. Yeezy Solar Red made its debut in 2009, and it’s also currently worth a lot of money. However, the prototype is a 1 of 1 that landed at Sotheby’s! The pair was acquired by Rares, an investment platform, at a whopping $1.8 Million. Today, you can partially invest in the kicks on the platform.
Beyond the Grammy Yeezy Solar Red – Top 5 Sneaker Auctions
Game Worn Nike Air Ship
According to Sotheby’s, this is the pair that Michael Jordan wore in his 5th NBA game! It’s actually the earliest pair that MJ wore in the NBA that exists today. The exact date on which MJ rocked the kicks is November 1, 1984. And nope, they’re not an Air Jordan 1! In other words, this pair puts the whole “Banned Js” story into perspective. These babies went for $1.472 Million, and they’re definitely worth it!
Game Worn Jordan 1 Chicago “Shattered Backboard”
We all know the story by now, especially since we know where the Shattered Backboard colorway comes from. However, if you’re not familiar, here’s the deal. In 1985, Nike sponsored an exhibition basketball game in Trieste, Italy. Naturally, the famous rookie Michael Jordan took part in it and scored 30 points!
However, the highlight of the game was MJ’s dunk that shattered the backboard. Glass rained over the heads of the players, and one shard settled in MJ’s left shoe sole! That exact same pair appeared in an auction on Christie’s among a collection of Jordan “rarities”. It’s safe to say that these babies were the highlight at a whopping $615,000!
Jordan 1 Chicago Game Worn
The list wouldn’t be complete without the real deal, would it? The OG Chicago colorway also made its way to Sotheby’s. That’s not all though, because the kicks have Michale Jordan’s signature on them! The closest people got to a release like that was the AJ1 Trophy Room, and we saw how that went… Anyway, the auction on “The One” closed off at $560,000!
Nike “Moon Shoe”
Now, away from the modern kicks and technologies, we’re going back to the roots! When Bill Bowerman tinkered with his wife’s waffle iron, little did he know that he’ll change the industry. The 100% hand-made shoes were the first to rock the swoosh logo! Only a dozen of the Olympic trial kicks existed, and they’re definitely less now. However, the Sotheby’s pair is actually the only one that’s in deadstock shape! And that makes sense because the kicks were auctioned off for $437,500!
Virgil Abloh Louis Vuitton Air Force 1
The last entry on our list is also the freshest! 200 pairs of the late Virgil Abloh’s LV x Nike Air Force 1 were Sotheby’s exclusive. Each pair came in a pilot case and went for a lot of money. However, one pair stood out and made it to our list! The auction closed for the size 5 pair at $352,800, exceeding the $15,000 estimate by miles. A great 40th-anniversary celebration of the silhouette, wouldn’t you say?
The Niche of Sneaker Resale Hits Different
Now that you saw the high-end side of the reselling industry, it kinda makes you wanna join! Although you might not flip your pair for crazy numbers like that, having a side hustle is always a plus. But if you’re seriously considering joining the sneaker industry, you’ll need to get yourself a sneaker bot. An all-in-one bot like NSB will boost your success chances when exclusive sneakers drop. Or any hype kicks at that!
We’ve been helping sneakerheads reach their flexing and flipping goals for years now. So why not become one of them too? You can find out more about NSB here. And make sure you know how to make the most out of your bot using this guide. Godspeed 🔥
