Kanye West changed the world of sneakers on February 10 2008.
On that night, West performed at the 50th annual Grammy Awards, performing his songs “Hey Mama”, an ode to his now-late mother, and “Stronger”, wearing a pair of sneakers that everyone in the world quickly tried to identify.
It was clear they were Nikes from the iconic Swoosh, but what were they exactly?
They were not Air Jordans—they were Air Yeezys.
There had, of course, been rumours up to that point that Kanye would be releasing a sneaker, but Nike and Kanye collaborated to introduce their top-secret project without telling anyone, giving the world its first look at the Air Yeezy 1 without ever so much as a press release.
The shoe lit up the world, and the Air Yeezy became the shoe of the moment. It may still be the shoe of today, if Nike and Kanye had not parted ways, and the Yeezy brand moved over to Adidas in 2013, where it still sits as one of the most popular brands in modern sneaker culture, with each release eagerly awaited, creativity and innovation abound.
While Kanye’s latest are in a completely different aesthetic, the first Air Yeezy was much closer to the classic sneaker of Nike, closer to a Dunk or Jordan 1.
Even though his style has changed, the Nike Air Yeezy I and Air Yeezy II are still some of the most coveted sneakers by collectors, and are foundational to the trajectory of the Yeezy brand as we know it today.
Sotheby’s is auctioning off the pair worn by Kanye at the event, and the were originally sold as ‘Grammy Worn’ in benefit of a charity Nike frequently supports – the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.
Sotheby’s utilized external consultants to both photo-analyze the sneakers (comparing them against Kanye’s performance that evening), as well as looking at build, tagging, box and makeup to determine the sneaker’s authenticity.
According to Sotheby’s, the Grammy Air Yeezy samples were built in Nike’s lab, known as the ‘Innovation Kitchen’ at the company’s headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Creative Director Mark Smith kept the project so under wraps that he released the shoes to Kanye for the Grammys with the condition that they would be returned as soon as possible following the performance.
The shoe is made of soft black leather with perforated detailing throughout the upper and the heel overlay is branded with a tonal Swoosh. The design features the iconic Yeezy forefoot strap and signature ‘Y’ medallion lacelocks in bright pink (which were not worn by Kanye during his performance). A custom lasered wooden box is included, which features a design and etching by the Yeezy 1 creator, Mark Smith.
The sneakers are to be part of a private sale will be on view at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 16 to April 21.
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