Over the moon: Nike sneakers sell for record $437,500

A new world record for a pair of sneakers was set at auction on Tuesday when an avid collector splashed out $437,500 on Nike's 1972 "Moon Shoe," Sotheby's said.

The sale smashed the previous record of $190,373 spent in 2017 on a pair of signed Converse worn by Michael Jordan in the 1984 Olympic basketball final, the New York-headquartered auction house said in a statement.

It was also well above the pre-sale estimate of $160,000, Sotheby's added.

Canadian collector Miles Nadal was the successful bidder in the online action, adding to the 99 pairs of other hard-to-find shoes that he bought in a private sale last week.

"I am thrilled to acquire the iconic Nike 'Moon Shoes,' one of the rarest pairs of sneakers ever produced, and a true historical artifact in sports history and pop culture," Nadal said.

Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman designed the flat racing "Moon Shoe," which was made for runners at the 1972 Olympic trials. 

Sotheby's said that just around 12 pairs were manufactured and that the set sold Tuesday was "one of only a handful of pairs known to exist".

"We are excited the iconic Nike Moon Shoe achieved more than double the previous world auction record for a sneaker today," said Sotheby's global e-commerce head Noah Wunsch.

The auction house joined up with streetwear marketplace Stadium Goods to sell 100 of the rarest sneakers ever made.

The 61-year-old Nadal spent $850,000 buying 99 of them privately on Wednesday with organizers holding back the 'Moon Shoe' for a public sale.

Nadal plans to display the footwear, which includes Nike sneakers based on those worn by Marty McFly in hit movie "Back to the Future II," at his private museum in Toronto.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Cavaliers' Irving launches new Nike shoe

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving became the latest Nike signature athlete with the unveiling of the KYRIE 1 shoe, which he helped design.

Nike and Irving launched KYRIE 1 in a New York City press conference Wednesday night.

"As a kid, imagining that I'd be in the Nike family with my own shoe was something that seemed almost unattainable," Irving said in a statement.

With the unveiling of the shoe, he joined the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James on Nike’s current roster of signature basketball athletes.

Irving is Nike basketball’s first signature athlete in six years. He was recently named the MVP of the FIBA World Cup and NBA All-Star Game this past year. He was also the Rookie of the Year in 2012.

The Cleveland basketball star worked with designer Leo Chang on the shoe, which has Nike Zoom Air cushioning, 360-degree dynamic traction and hyperfuse construction for lockdown stability.

"Now that I've received the KYRIE 1, I'm honored to represent Nike and its next generation of players," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kobe's latest shoe inspired by Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant’s latest Nike shoe, the Kobe 9 Elite, was partly inspired by Filipino ring icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

The Kobe 9 Elite, which will be available globally in February 2014, is Bryant’s first high top shoe in a while, as his last five shoes were mid-cut.

It looks somewhat like a boxing boot, and Bryant told Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star that this was deliberate.

“Manny was getting ready for the (Juan Manuel) Marquez fight two years ago, and I stopped by his training camp,” Bryant told Henson.

“I watched him spar and train, watched him moving, looking at his footwork, trying to learn from him, how he uses his footwork,” he added. “I asked myself, I wonder if I could move like Manny in a basketball shoe that looks like his boxing boot.”

“The basketball shoe had to be really like Manny’s boxing boot. I wanted the high-tops to be responsive to the movement of the ankles.”

Nike creative director Eric Avar told Henson that it took over two years to develop and produce the Kobe 9 Elite.

“He (Bryant) wanted high-tops to play like low-tops, and referenced Manny,” Avar said.

Bryant is returning to action today against the Toronto Raptors after suffering an Achilles injury last April.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nike Lunar Rift Racer

Though the barefoot essence has been channeled into the Free line and various neoprene-uppered runners, the Air Rift remains one of Nike Sportswear’s most peculiar classics.  With far more womens colorways available in recent years than mens, this ‘mitten’ of a velcro-strapped slip-on has all but faded out of the recurring lineup.  The new Nike Lunar Rift Racer seeks changes in that status in more, offering a more traditional split-less toe atop a LunarLon cushion that’s as light as the featherweight elastic upper.  Atomic Teal will be a popular color for SS13, so stick with Sneaker News to see more from the Lunar Rift Racer and let us know what you think of this first one after you’ve seen them from more angles.

source: sneakernews.com

Reebok makes shoes for tallest man in U.S.

Athletic shoe company Reebok said it has created a custom pair of size 24 shoes for a New York state man known as the tallest in the United States.

Igor Vovkovinskiy, 30, who stands at 7-foot-8 1/3, tried on the three pairs of custom-made size 24, 10E sneakers Thursday at the Rochester Athletic Club, the Rochester Post Bulletin reported Friday.

"It feels so good, like I'm walking on pillows or mattresses," said Vovkovinskiy, who moved to the United States in 1989 to receive surgery for tumors on his pituitary gland, which caused his large size.

Vovkovinskiy said a series of surgeries on his feet left them misshapen, and further complicated his attempts to find shoes that fit.

"For so long it hurt to have shoes on," he said. "Every day I was in pain. I want to be active again and walk. I can barely walk two blocks now. Before, I could walk two miles."

source: upi.com