#Roommates, Kanye West may be keeping a low-profile in the public eye, but he is making major money moves behind the scenes—and his latest accomplishment has just made history. According to recent reports, Kanye West’s first pair of prototype Yeezys officially broke the world record and are now the most expensive sneakers of all-time, after selling for almost $2 million!
@CNN reports, back in 2008 when Kanye West performed at the 50th Grammy Awards, he wore the first-ever Nike Air Yeezy prototypes that were never officially released for sale. Fast forward 13 years later and those Yeezys have just earned the title of the most expensive sneakers in history after being sold in a private sale for $1.8 million. The shoes almost doubled their initial valuation of $1 million and are the first sneakers to ever sell for over that amount, as confirmed by famed auction house Sotheby’s.
The Yeezys, which were Ye’s very own size 12 pair, were acquired by RARES—an investing platform that allows users to buy and trade shares in limited edition and highly sought-after sneakers. Gerome Sapp, CEO and co-founder of the company, called the sneakers “a piece of history.” The 2008 Nike Air Yeezy prototypes not only hold monetary value, but also sentimental—as these were the same shoes that Kanye wore when he performed an emotional tribute at the Grammys to his mother, Donda West, with an acapella performance of ‘Hey Mama’ following her tragic death.
Sapp added, “Our goal in purchasing such an iconic shoe, is to increase accessibility and empower the communities that birthed sneaker culture with the tools to gain financial freedom through RARES.
Meanwhile, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear & Modern Collectibles, Brahm Wachter, echoed Kanye’s iconic status, saying that the selling of the shoes for such a history-making price “speaks volumes of Kanye’s legacy as one of the most influential clothing and sneaker designers of our time.”
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