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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Joe Bromley

Virgil Abloh’s limited edition sneaker collection fetches $25 million at Sotheby’s

Nike Air Force 1 trainers designed by the late Virgil Abloh have sold at auction for $25 million.

Shattering the auction house’s expectations, 200 pairs of Louis Vuitton-monogrammed sneakers sold on average for $125,000 a pop.

The limited edition run was created for Louis Vuitton’s SS22 menswear collection in celebration of the iconic Nike style’s 40th anniversary.

First shown on a Paris runway in June 2021, before Abloh’s death in November following a two-year struggle with cancer, these were some of the visionary’s final creations. The looks were shown again at a spectacular tribute show in Miami two days after his passing, where “Virgil was here” was lit up in the sky.

Virgil Abloh discusses his trainers in November 2021 (Getty Images for Qatar Museums)

The sneakers caused a sensation. Sotheby’s had predicted sales of around $15,000 a pair, but bidding blew up when the online auction opened on January 26. In the end, the cheapest pair went for $75,000 and the most expensive for $350,000.

It’s fuel on the sneaker market fire which continues to expand. It was valued at $79 billion in 2020, and is forecast to hit $120 billion by 2026.

Cash from this Vuitton sale is not going to be pocketed, though. Proceeds will go to Abloh’s “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, an organisation set up during his lifetime to help fund young black designers and students.

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