Virgil Abloh sneakers fetch $25M at auction

Larger than life

200 pairs of Louis Vuitton X Nike Air Force 1 sneakers designed by Virgil Abloh, have sold at auction for $25M. Sotheby’s confirmed the grand total of its online auction. The auction ran from January 26 until February 8th.

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Each pair of the sneakers sold were accompanied by a special Louis Vuitton carrying case, fashioned out of leather and inspired by earlier designs from the fashion house.

Sales were unprecedented, as Sotheby auction house started the bidding at just $2000. The sneakers were part of Louis Vuitton’s 2022 spring-summer men’s collection. They sold, on average, for more than $200,000 per pair. The cheapest fetched just over $150,000, whereas the most expensive auctioned for $350,000.

In total, Sotheby received over 10,000 bids on the sneaker collection. Interestingly 40 percent of the bids reportedly came from interested buyers located in Asia. The CEO of Sotheby, Charles F. Stewart, explained that the auction was ground-breaking due to its “unparalleled global participation,” emphasizing this is undoubtedly due to Abloh’s legacy in the fashion world.

The limited-edition nature of the collection adds to an already iconic image that Virgil crafted for himself; from the world of fashion, to music and beyond. It’s a testament to him that, even from beyond the grave, Virgil’s name still lives on

All proceeds from the sales of the Louis Vuitton X Nike Air Force 1 will go towards the Virgil Abloh Post-Modern Scholarship Fund. A fund to aid fashion designers of African heritage for generations to come.

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