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On February 12th at 10:44 am, sneaker lovers have the chance to purchase white basketball shoes (men's size 12.5 - but that should hardly play a role with collector's items like this one) on the new “Buy Now” page of the auction house Sotheby's .
The excitement among sneaker heads is great because this pair is a rare Nike Hyperdunks specially designed for Barack Obama.
Now they're on sale for $ 25,000 - read that right, at a fixed price.
A sneaker for the price of a mid-range car?
Quite justified, because only two copies of this model should exist.
One that Nike gave to basketball fan Obama in 2009 - and one that is still in his possession - and one that the brand has retained as an official sample.
Which is why the couple is in incredibly good condition.
In addition, $ 25,000 seems downright ridiculous, considering the record price a pair of Air Jordans fetched at a Christie's auction last year: $ 615,000 - around 25 mid-range cars.
Nevertheless, the Obama-inspired shoe model should complement any well-stocked sneaker collection perfectly.
According to a statement on Sotheby's, the Hyperdunks are a tribute to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, for which Nike designed the basketball shoes.
In recognition of the then president for this sport, the brand designed its own pair for him - in the same style as the Olympic models of the “United We Rise” collection, but with some America-motivated modifications.
Barack Obama maintained his love of basketball during his tenure
Source: Getty Images / Mark Wilson
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"Obama is known for his love for this sport, so a basketball shoe was the obvious choice," Sotheby's spokesman Brahm Wachter is quoted as saying.
In fact, Obama even won the state championships with his high school team in 1979.
And he never gave up playing basketball during his presidency - in 2009 he even had the White House tennis court pavilion converted into a makeshift basketball court.
Barack Obama - then called Barry - won the 1979 state championships with his Punahou High School basketball team - in Nike Blazers
Source: Getty Images / Laura SL Kong
Although the model to be purchased was never owned by Obama, let alone worn by him, it is still closely related to him.
Because it shows the official seal of the 44th President of the United States on the tongue, the number "44" is also embroidered on the inside of the toe caps and the insoles are printed with patriotic graphics - including an eagle with the date "1776", the Founding year of the USA.
Rare sneakers - with the insignia of the 44th President of the USA
Source: Sotheby's
The shoes have been on display at Sotheby's on the Upper East Side in New York since Monday.
“It is a real pleasure to bring such a unique piece onto the market,” says Wachter.
Hardly surprising, considering that the auction house will catapult the market value of used sneakers to new heights with this sale.
Because the actual price war will probably only occur when the shoe changes hands again at some point - because rare and limited-edition sneakers can cost real lovers, especially male millennials, a lot of money.
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By the way, the most popular sales platform for sneaker collectibles is StockX.
There are currently two other sneaker models that are making fans' hearts pounding: the “Air Jordan 1 Retro High Dior” and the “Air Jordan 1 Mid Sisterhood”.
In addition to their rarity, this is also due to their prominent wearers.
For the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who make political statements with their choice of outfits, Harris' “nephew in law” Nikolas Ajagu wore the rare and coveted “Jordan 1 Retro High Dior”.
The search queries for this shoe shot up by 280 percent within a day - this model is now trading for up to 8,000 dollars.
Nikolas Ajagu (r.) With his daughter in his arms and the rare "Jordan 1 Retro High Dior" on his feet
Source: pa / dpa / AP / Jacquelyn Martin
Biden's granddaughter Maisy Biden, on the other hand, wore an “Air Jordan 1 Mid Sisterhood” at the inauguration - and the bids for this shoe also rose promptly by up to 200 percent.
The fashion rule that sneakers are an absolute no-go at upscale events should soon be a thing of the past, given the exclusivity of some models and the prominent pioneers.
Maisy Biden in "Air Jordan 1 Mid Sisterhood":
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The Obama sneaker could also soon be a thing of the past, if it changes hands on February 12 and puts it in a display case instead of reselling it for a profit: Sales start at 4:44 p.m. New York time (10: 44 p.m. German time) on sothebys.com.
Incidentally, the crooked number of minutes should also be an allusion to the 44th President of the USA.
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