Ye's Nike Air Yeezy "Grammy" Sample Sells for 90% Off

The 2008 Grammy-worn pair sells for a loss of $1.6 million USD.

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Back in 2021, Sotheby’s sold the then-coveted 2008 “Grammy-Worn” Nike Air Yeezy. The shoe, which Ye wore on stage was valued at over $1 million USD at the time, making it the most valuable sneaker to ever appear at the auction house. At the time, the sample sold for a record-breaking $1.8 million USD at Sotheby’s and just recently, Goldin Auctions got their hands on the aforementioned pair.

The auction house listed the Nike Air Yeezy 1 samples in August with a starting price of $50,000 USD. Earlier this week, the auction ended with the sneaker selling for just $180,106 USD — a 90% drop in price from the 2021 Sotheby’s auction. The selling price had a different of $1,619,894 USD to be exact, between the two sales. The size 12 shoe sample was made exclusively for Ye and he was seen wearing them at the 50th Annual Grammy Music Awards when he won four Grammy’s and performed “Stronger” on stage.

This particular shoe is dressed in a nearly all-black leather makeup with a glow-in-the-dark outsole. The sneaker also arrives in a custom wooden box that featured lasered artwork from industry vet Mark Smith. With the evident drop in price, it goes to show that Ye’s influence may not be as prominent as it once was. Take a closer look at the shoe above.

In other footwear news, here are the best footwear trends from New York Fashion Week SS24.

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Joyce Li
Joyce Li Editor

For over half a decade, Joyce Li has served as an Editor on Hypebeast's global team, leveraging profound industry insights to capture the zeitgeist. Through her editorial lens, she anticipates emerging trends while dedicating her platform to spotlighting those making the greatest impact on culture today. A storyteller first and foremost, she examines the cross-pollination of fashion, footwear, art, music, and sports. This intersectional approach has led to compelling interviews with industry-defining figures like LeBron James, Pharrell Williams, Tom Brady, NIGO, A$AP Rocky, KAWS, and more.

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