A shoe worn by Kanye West during his 2008 Grammy performance is expected to sell for a steep price.
Christie’s has debuted a new division, Department X – Sneakers, Streetwear, and Collectibles, Sole Collector reports. The luxury auction house will dedicate it to sourcing hard-to-find collectibles across genres for buyers.
Christie’s is going all out for the first offering under the new division, bringing buyers the “Ye Walks” collection, presenting the Nike Air Yeezy 1 “Grammy” prototype plus the Air Jordan 6 “Donda” sample.
As AfroTech previously told you, the Yeezy shoe was first acquired by investment platform Rares in 2021 for $1.8 million. The sale was groundbreaking as it became the largest individual sale for a pair of sneakers in auction history. It also marked the most expensive purchase by Rares at the time.
Yet, Rares did not have plans to keep the rare shoe under the radar for long as they did hope to sell the prototype to investors for a return.
According to Sole Collector, “’when the opportunity arose to be part of their Department X launch we felt like the time was right’ to capitalize on Christie’s network of buyers and its potential to maximize return. Rare notes, however, that the sale is private and that it ‘reserves the right to turn down any offer we deem not good enough for our investors.'”
As for the “Donda” Air Jordan 6 sample — it was created as an ode to West’s mother who passed away in 2007. Besides West, only a few of his family members and friends have a pair.
The exact prices of the shoes have not been disclosed but they are available for purchase upon request. Sole Collector reports Christie’s expects the shoes to “sell in excess of $2.5 million and $1 million, respectively.”
