Sneakers as a piece of art

On July 16, 2020, Christie’s announced the first of its kind auction, which will include an entire selection of sneakers belonging to basketball player Michael Jordan. The Original Air: Michael Jordan Game-Worn and Player Exclusive Sneaker Rarities will be auctioned online from July 20 to August 13, 2020, as part of a series of sports-themed auctions collectively called Gamechangers.

The auction catalog will include 11 lots of sneakers in which Michael Jordan competed and won iconic games in the 1980s and 90s. Starting prices for lots of the auction will range from $ 6-8 thousand for a pair of classic Jordan 14 model, worn by Jordan during one of the Chicago Bulls games, to $ 350-550 thousand for vintage sneakers that the basketball player wore during his non-professional period (before the conclusion contract with Nike).

May’s price record is expected to be broken during trading when The One | MJ’s Air Jordan 1s from Sotheby’s, a pair of 1985 Air Jordan 1s sold for $ 560,000.

At the same time, France is hosting Europe’s largest sneaker and athletic shoe fair. At the exhibition at the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design of the city of Bordeaux, visitors can get acquainted with more than 600 pairs of shoes, as well as documents, films, photographs, and information about famous personalities associated with the history of the development and design of this type of shoe.

The exposition consists of two parts. The first one is dedicated to the history of sneakers and their penetration into various spheres of culture and life – from sports proper to streetwear, dance, and various subcultures. The second part of the show focuses on the key innovations that have shaped the history of the sneaker industry since its inception. Visitors are presented with research from specialized divisions of major brands that have been racing to bring new technologies to market for many years. The Playground – Le design des sneakers exhibition will be open until January 10, 2021.