Kanye West: Yeezy shoes sold for record price - Panorama - Stuttgarter Nachrichten

The Nike Air Yeezy 1 prototype by Kanye West (43) was sold via Sotheby's on Monday for the equivalent of 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million) - making it the most expensive sports shoe ever, how among other things "BBC" reported with reference to the auction house. The shoes smashed the record set by the Nike Air Jordan many times over, which fetched over €509,000 at auction last year.

The shoes made of black leather with size 45/46 have made history. When Kanye West first showed off the prototype at the 2008 Grammy Awards, rumors that he was collaborating with Nike had been going around for a year. It was the sports brand's first collaboration with a musician. A year after the launch, the sneakers - also the first to be named after a musician, not an athlete - were released in limited editions.

The shoes also mark the beginning of West's own, extremely successful shoe line. Brahm Wachter, head of streetwear and collectibles at Sotheby's, said the award "speaks volumes about Kanye's legacy as one of the most influential apparel and sneaker designers of our time, and the Yeezy franchise he built into one has become an industrial titan". The rapper is now working with Nike competitor Adidas.

The shoes are now owned by investment platform Rares. There, buyers can purchase shares in rare athletic shoes, much like stockholders can purchase shares in companies. The historic pair was previously owned by shoe collector Ryan Chang.