Salehe Bembury Gives Away His Ultra-Rare Apple Sneakers From The '90s
“I respect the efforts Thinking Different is taking to honor such a significant period of design history. It only seemed appropriate to contribute.”
Thinking Different – the Los Angeles-based, Apple-inspired imprint by George Robertson – has revealed that Salehe Bembury, an early supporter of the brand, recently donated to it his personal pair of the super-rare Apple Inc. sneakers from the mid-’90s. Produced by Omega Sports as a one-off promotional item for giveaway at a national sales conference, the shoe was never made available to purchase, and pairs have rarely come up for sale.
This has led to a mythologization of the silhouette amongst Apple stans and sneakerheads alike, with most having never seen a pair in real life. Earlier this year, the mythical sneaker sent shockwaves through the internet when an unworn pair was put up for auction at Sotheby’s.
Featuring all-white leather panels, perforations on both the toebox and sides, visible air units, and a stitched, retro rainbow Apple logo, acquiring the sneakers was hugely symbolic for Robertson, who has plans to launch a museum-cum-gallery and a coffee table book dedicated to Apple memorabilia. Speaking to Hypebeast, Robertson said that his project, “Thinking Different: Archive of Innovation, ” will combine merch, apparel, and vintage tech from Apple’s past to help tell the brand’s story. “About a month ago, he saw my vintage collection of Apple clothing and electronics,” says Robertson, “and we then started talking about the Apple sneaker. He mentioned that he had a pair and wanted to donate it to the project.”
While the project is still in its early days, watch this space for more gas we get it.
