Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Sotheby's drops 'cult canvas'. Its first ever sale of ultra-rare artist-designed Nike sneakers includes the shoe that declared the birth of sneaker culture. Bidding now open until 30 september
september 22, 2020 - Sotheby

Sotheby's drops 'cult canvas'. Its first ever sale of ultra-rare artist-designed Nike sneakers includes the shoe that declared the birth of sneaker culture. Bidding now open until 30 september

22 September 2020, New York: Moments ago, a sale of eight ultra-rare and pristine artist-created sneakers dropped on #sothebys.com in a sale titled ‘Cult Canvas.’ All made exclusively by #nike, the items celebrate the cross section between art and #fashion, illustration and design, and sport and culture. Open for bidding until 30 September, the auction comprises one-off limited-edition pairs and production samples, all of which were made in collaboration, or incorporate an artist’s work: from French Expressionist #bernardbuffet to New York street artist Futura 2000 and Michael Lau, the pioneer of designer toy figures, whose 2006 ‘Gardener Wood’ #nike Dunk Low Pro SB was inspired by his very own skateboarding comic strip, titled Gardener. The sale is attributed to #ryanchang, Founder and Chief Curator of Applied Arts [@applied.arts.nyc] – a media company that celebrates sneakers as fine-art objects. Speaking of ‘Cult Canvas’, Chang said: “These sneakers possess historical and cultural significance, rarity, and aesthetic appeal. They are art objects created by some of the most prominent figures in the category, and I cannot think of a better partner to explore this new dynamic with than Sotheby’s.” 

Based on the notion that art has found a new medium of expression or ‘canvas’, every item on offer are the most coveted examples desired by sneaker collectors worldwide. Among them is the ‘NYC Pigeon’ #nike Dunk Low Pro SB (est. $25,000-30,000), referred to as “the sneaker which started it all” declaring the birth of sneaker culture, designed by Jeff Ng, ‘Jeff Staple’ of Staple Design. When it was released in 2005, #nike produced 150 pairs-only, yet this didn’t deter the hype and large queues which formed on the first day outside Staples’ Lower East Side storefront, Reed Space. Remembered as one of the wildest #nike releases in history, the crowd grew so large that the New York City Police were called to keep things in order, employing police cars to escort lucky buyers’ home in a safe manner. After 20 #people were arrested on the opening night, The New York Post published a front-page story under the headline ‘Sneaker Riot!’ the following day. Signed by Staple, the design itself was inspired by New York’s pigeons; the colour of its outsole reminiscent of the bird’s foot.  

‘Cult Canvas’ also includes one pair of just 24 ever-made #nike Dunk High Pro SB ‘FLOM’ sneakers designed by

Leonard Hilton McGurr, AKA Futura 2000 – a pseudonym which nods to the artist’s favourite film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.’ (est. $50,000-60,000). Released in 2005, the sneaker is considered one of, if not the rarest, #nike SB since only three pairs were raffled to the public, while the remaining 21 were gifted to friends or family members. Often dubbed the ‘urban Renaissance man’, Futura 2000 titled the model ‘FLOM’, an acronym meaning ‘For Love of Money’, binding its exterior with a tile-based pattern of denominations of printed money. Rap artist Travis Scott is counted among its collectors. The design and colour palette play on the artist’s debt to the graffiti scene, known as one of the founding fathers of the movement, starting his career in the 1970s tagging subway walls. Yet, his influence was felt far outside street art, as he also collaborated with punk band The Clash, creating live woks during their concerts, as well as designing their album art. 

From ‘Dunk Highs’ to ‘Dunk Lows’, a production sample of the revered ‘Paris’ #nike Dunk Low Pro SB joins the line-up (est. $70,000-80,000). Overlaid with the workings of #bernardbuffet, the pair were created during Nike’s testing process before the final design went into production, and no two pair are the same. Created for the occasion of Nike’s travelling White Dunk Exhibition in 2003, approximately 200 editions of the final design were produced for the tour’s host cities. This pair in ‘Rope/Special Cardinal’ colours represents Paris and encompasses a clown and ballerina for which Buffet is most known. Elsewhere is a sample pair of #nike Dunk SB Low by Japanese illustrator Katsuya Terada. The shoe was originally intended for the White Dunk Exhibition too, though this prototype was never released. This shoe is one of just 12 in existence.  

Since Sotheby’s first ever dedicated Sneaker auction in 2019, sales in this category have been growing from strength to strength. Over 50% of bidders in these auctions specifically have been new to Sotheby’s, and the average buyer aged just 45. Participants here have also been active across other categories includes Contemporary Art, Books, Watches, Prints and Jewellery sales.   

In June this year, Sotheby’s set a record for any pair of sneakers when Michael Jordan’s Game-Worn Autographed ‘Nike Air Jordan 1s’ from 1985 sold for $560,000 (est. $100,000-150,000) in a special single-lot online auction. 10 bidders competed throughout the 10-day online sale, driving up the value by $300,000 in the final 20 minutes. Bidders ranging from age 19 to 50+ participated across 4 continents, with 70% of bidders new to Sotheby’s. This result surpassed the previous record set at Sotheby’s for the 1972 ‘Nike Waffle Racing Flat ‘Moon Shoe’ sold for $437,500 in July 2019 (est. $110,000-160,000). The first pair of ‘Bowerman Handmade Waffle Spike Shoes’ ever to appear at auction also achieved $162,000 in a dedicated online sale at Sotheby’s this Summer (est. $130,000-150,000). 

Hand-Crafted by #nike Co-Founder and Legendary University of Oregon Track Coach Bill Bowerman in the Early 1970s, the pair were made exclusively for, worn and consigned by John Mays (Press Releases for each of these sales here).

Sotheby’s continues to break new ground in the vintage #fashion and memorabilia market. Last week, our inaugural auction dedicated to Hip Hop achieved $2.1 million (est. $1.2-1.7 million) with 91% of all lots offered finding new homes. Over 400 bidders registered and more than 25% of those were new to Sotheby’s. The sale was led by the crown worn and signed by Notorious B.I.G. when photographed as the King of New York in 1997, which sold for $594,750 ($200,000300,000).