Published 15:45 IST, July 24th 2019
Nike 'Moon Shoe' breaks record, after Canadian collector buys the pair for $437,500
A new world record has been set when Nike's 1972 'Moon Shoe' sneakers were sold for $437,500 on Tuesday.Â
Nike's 1972 'Moon Shoe' sneakers set a world record after selling the piece for $437,500 on Tuesday.
The sneakers were auctioned in Sotheby's, one of the biggest auction house in the world, based in New York. The new record was attained after it crossed the previous record of $190,373, wherein a pair of Converse was sold in 2017. As per Sotheby's, the previous auction had a pair worn by Michael Jordan in the 1984 Olympic Basketball final.
Among the several bidders, Canadian Miles Nadal emerged as the most successful bidder in the online auction.
The 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat 'Moon Shoe,' the last remaining pair in Sotheby's Stadium Goods: the Ultimate Sneaker Collection, achieved $437,500 earlier today, setting a new world auction record for a pair of sneakers. #SothebysStadiumGoods https://t.co/GGmjh8hSKh
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) July 23, 2019
Along with this deal, Miles had also purchased 99 other rare shoes from a private sale from last week and was 'thrilled' to acquire the iconic paid, what he described as a 'true historic artifact' in the history of sports and pop culture.
The Moon Shoe was designed by Nike's co-founder Bill Bowerman for athletes competing in the 1972 Olympic Trials. According to Sotheby's, only 12 pairs of Moon Shoe were manufactured and the one sold on Tuesday is among the few pairs which are known to exist.
The auction was a collaborative event to sell 100 of the rarest sneakers by the Sotheby's and Stadium Goods. Apart from the moon shoe, Nadal privately purchased the 99 pairs for over $850,000. The Moon Shoe pair was kept exclusively aside for the public sale. Meanwhile, Nadal has planned to display his latest collection of sneakers at his private museum in Toronto. The collection also includes the Nike sneakers which are based on those worn by Marty McFly in the movie 'Back to the Future II'.
Updated 22:54 IST, July 24th 2019