in CultureWords By Tora Northman
It goes without saying that Virgil Abloh's history-making "THE 10" sneaker collaboration has become some of the most sought-after shoes on the footwear market.
Since its release in 2017, the collection has seen its resell value skyrocket. The most valuable shoe is the Off-White™ x Air Jordan 1 "Chicago," which is currently listed with the lowest ask on StockX just around $19,000. The highest bid, however, comes in at $2,800. Still, a lot of money, considering the shoes retailed for $190 when they were initially released in September 2017.
The full range has become collectibles, and after Abloh's tragic passing last year, plenty of fans have tried to get their hands on the pairs.
Now, Sotheby's is auctioning out the full "THE 10" collection, including the AJ1, Air Max 90, Air Presto, Air Vapormax, Blazer Mid, Converse Chuck Taylor, Zoom Fly SP, Air Force 1 Low, React Hyperdunk, and the Air Max 97.
"All sneakers are in pristine condition, without any signs of wear and come with the original box," reads the Sotheby's website, adding that the shoes are between a size US 10.5 and a US 11.
The complete collection is estimated to sell for an insane amount of money. The Sotheby's website currently has $30,000 – $40,000 as its price, but considering what we saw during the recent Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 auction, sneakers can fetch for plenty more than they're estimated.
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We're talking $350,000 USD. That is obscene, considering they were initially listed at a starting bid of $2,000.
The auction opens on March 21 at 9 a.m. EDT, and is part of Sotheby's Modern Collectibles launch.
Other notable pieces up for grabs are the 2016 Nike MAG ‘Back to the Future,' fetching a $60 – $80K estimate, a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG (1985) "Chicago" with an ask between $12 - $18K, a Louis Vuitton x Supreme skateboard deck estimated at $15K, and a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 2 "Red October" set to sell between $10 - $15K.
The auction is proof that streetwear and sneaker culture have become some of the world's most valuable pieces, with collaborations fetching over 100x the retail price, and collectors worldwide willing to drop thousands of dollars on a pair of trainers. Basically, displaying a pair of OG AJ1 "Chicago" is the ultimate flex – forget about art!
Head over to the Sotheby's Modern Collectibles site to follow the auction as it goes live later today and bids start to roll in.
