‘Everyone wants them’: the trainers that sold for $150,000
Several pairs of Nike Air Force 1s were auctioned at Sotheby’s this week to celebrate the shoe’s 40th anniversary. These five commanded the top prices – just don’t expect them to be worn
hen a trainer commands a six-figure price at its own Sotheby’s auction, you know it has transcended everyday shoe status. Indeed, no sensible sneakerhead – if such a thing exists – would wear any of the 40 rare Nike Air Force 1 trainers that were sold on Tuesday at Sotheby’s New York’s “40 for 40” sale (so-called as this year marks the shoe’s 40th anniversary).
The AF1 is not just a trainer; it is a cultural phenomenon. Hoka Shoes Designed as a basketball shoe by Bruce Kilgore in 1982, it was expected to be replaced by the AF2, the AF3 and so on, but consumer demand put paid to that. “It’s the perfec...