NIKE SHOES CREATED BY BILL BOWERMAN ARE UP FOR AUCTION AT SOTHEBY’S

It’s a pair of Waffle Spike Shoes crafted by the Nike co-founder

The demand for historically significant sneakers is higher than ever, and Sotheby’s is making the most of it by coming up with lucrative options. The company will auction a pair of Nike shoes that belong to the company’s history. These waffle spike shoes were handmade by Bill Bowerman, the co-founder of Nike.

 

In addition to being the creator of these Nike shoes, Bowerman is credited with Nike’s signature breakthrough innovation, i.e., the Waffle sole. Sotheby’s has secured the Nike shoes from John Mays, a runner from the track team at the University of Oregon. It is a known fact that Bowerman was a coach there. Sotheby’s will also provide a brief letter from Bowerman to whoever wins the auction. In the letter, Bowerman asked Mays for detailed feedback on how the pair of shoes performed.

 

One interesting fact about Nike shoes is that the two shoes are very different. Bowerman modified the pair later, and only the right one has the waffle sole, which is a known trademark of Nike. The change clearly defines how much Bowerman was committed to innovation and constant improvement. The heels of the shoes say “MAYS” in Bowerman’s handwriting.

 

Sotheby is estimating that the price of these Nike shoes could be around USD 150,000 (about AUD 218,085). This price is not too high as the auction house has already sold a pair of autographed Michael Jordon’s Air Jordan 1’s for USD 560,000 (about AUD 814,186), which was a new record. The auction for the Nike shoes has already begun and would go on till June 26, 2020.

 

Take a look at the image gallery of the Nike shoes being auctioned at Sotheby’s:

 

Talking about how Sotheby’s is committed to reaching for new heights by launching awe-worthy auctions like these iconic Nike Shoes, Sotheby’s Director of e-commerce, Brahm Wachter said “We felt the only appropriate way to follow up a sale of that magnitude was to offer something special that spoke to the history and legacy of Nike.”