A set of renowned Nike shoes might draw $150,000 at auction

A batter set of white waffle spike shoes that were handmade in the early 1970s are anticipated to bring up to $150,000 at auction.

If that cost looks high, that’s since these are no common running tennis shoes. The tennis shoes are the very first shoes developed by Bill Bowerman, a Nike co-founder and the famous track coach at the University of Oregon.

Sotheby’s stated that these shoes mark the very first and only set handmade by Bill Bowerman to ever appear at auction. The shoes were produced John Mays, a runner on Bowerman’s track group, and have actually stayed in his ownership since. A 2nd set of the Bowerman shoes reside in the University Archives of the Knight Library at the University of Oregon.

“Often times, Bill would talk to me about a new company he was involved with. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. One day, he asked me to help test a new sprint spike shoe he was designing. Of course, I agreed and was excited to be chosen,” Mays informed Sotheby’s.

Bowerman partnered with Phil Knight in 1964 to begun Blue Ribbon Sports. They relabelled the business Nike in 1971. The factor these shoes are so important is since they act as the initial design template and very first significant development for the business. Today, the multi-billion dollar brand name still utilizes that waffle style. 

Bidding for the unique single lot online auction starts Wednesday and goes through June 26. Sotheby’s stated the shoes are amongst the most important set ever provided at auction. 

Just last month, the auction home offered an autographed set of Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 1’s from his novice season for a record-breaking $560,000.

“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,” stated Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Director of eCommerce Development.