Rare Nike 'Moon Shoe' expected to snag more than $100G at Sotheby’s sneaker auction
Shoes from Nike, Air Jordan and Adidas are being sold in Sotheby’s first-ever rare sneaker auction this month, including one pair of Nikes that could be sold for more than $110,000.
The Nike “Moon Shoe” is expected to bring in between $110,000 to $160,000, according to the auction house. Bidding on the shoes began at $80,000.
The shoes were designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman and use a waffle sole, which was the company’s “first major innovation as a brand,” according to Sotheby’s.
Only about 12 pairs were ever made -- for runners at the 1972 Olympic trials -- and each shoe was hand-cobbled by one of Nike’s first employees, the auction house says.
“The Nike ‘Moon Shoe’ is one of the most significant artifacts in the history of the multi-billion dollar athletic brand,” the lot listing says.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no bids had been made on the size 12.5 shoes featured in the online auction.
Sotheby’s collaborated with Stadium Goods to sell the highly coveted shoes as well as other rare pairs that have been seen in movies or were designed by celebrities and artists.
There are 42 lots being sold in total according to the website, including 20 lots with Nike shoes, 15 lots with Air Jordans, five lots with Adidas and one lot that includes a pair of Converse.
Other notable lots in the auction are two lots of Nike Mags -- shoes made famous by the 1989 film “Back to the Future Part II.”
Though the self-lacing shoes were fictional, Nike released about 1,500 pairs of Nike Mags in 2011. Unlike the shoes in the film, the first line of real-life Mags couldn’t lace themselves.
In 2016, Nike released another pair of Mags that could actually lace themselves, but this time the company made only 89 pairs.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NKE | NIKE INC. | 79.09 | +0.72 | +0.92% |
| ADDYY | ADIDAS AG | 121.15 | +3.31 | +2.81% |
Sotheby’s is selling one pair of each at the auction. The pair from 2011 begins bidding at $11,000 and is expected to sell between $13,000 and $18,000.
The self-lacing pair from 2016 has a starting bid of $40,000 and is expected to sell between $50,000 and $70,000.
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The auction house is also selling a pair of Air Jordan IIs designed to honor New York Yankee Derek Jeter’s retirement in 2017. Only five pairs of the shoes exist and the pair on auction is expected to sell between $40,000 to $60,000.
Bidding in the auction will close on July 23.