One-of-a-kind pair of sneakers aim for million dollars at auction<

A one-of-a-kind pair of sneakers designed by sportswear maker adidas and German porcelain maker Meissen could become the first to fetch a million-dollar price tag at a sale organized by Sotheby's, the latter has estimated.

In recent years, auction houses have positioned themselves on the collector's trainer market, but until now they have only offered copies from even limited series.

The model which will be offered for sale, online, from Monday until December 16 is unique and estimated by Sotheby's between "1 and 1,000,000" dollars.

Designed on the basis of the ZX8000, a popular model marketed by adidas, the leather pair was painted by artisans in Meissen, who then applied porcelain elements, also decorated.

These sneakers are not made to be worn. The design, rarity, and price of these adidas shoes could help take the now well-established collectible sneaker market to the next level.

like art

The record for a pair of sports shoes has been beaten several times this year, the last by Air Jordan 1 from Nike, sold for 615,000 dollars at the end of a sale organized by Christie's, in mid-August.

Read alsoA pair of Air Jordan 1 sold for 615,000 dollars, a record

"There's a shift in the market, which now sees these sneakers as art," says Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's online sales development director.

Until now, American equipment manufacturer Nike has been by far the most popular collector's item, mainly through the in-house Jordan Brand, associated with former basketball legend Michael Jordan.

"Auction houses are capitalizing on the emergence of the 'sneaker' culture (basketball) and using it to attract a new audience to their ecosystem", analyzes Tom Woodger, vice-president in charge of cultural marketing for the platform. StockX online store. “These extremely rare products offered by auction houses only concern the richest 0.01% among collectors,” he continues, while specialized platforms like StockX “allow access to the rest”.

For Brahm Wachter, if other unique pairs were offered at auction, “it would change the market”, with the arrival of new collectors and the emergence of a different price “dynamic”. As such, he says, the sale, which kicks off Monday, with proceeds going to New York's Brooklyn Museum and its programming for the city's youth, "is truly a first. It's a test."

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