A man’s junk shoe is actually a Hollywood treasure.
A pair of gold Nike Air Jordan 3 shoes made for Spike Lee found in a shelter’s donation bin is being auctioned at Sotheby’s until Dec. 18.
The expensive kicks, worth more than $10,000, were made for the famous director to sport at the 2019 Academy Awards, when he received an Oscar for his screenplay “BlackKkKlansmen”.
A former homeless person in a program at the Burnside Shelter of Portland Rescue Mission, a nonprofit that helps those struggling with homelessness and addiction in Portland, Ore., made the discovery while sifting through trash collected from his donation chute.
“Obviously they must be fake, we thought, because why would the real thing end up in our donation bin?” said Erin Holcomb, Portland Rescue Mission’s director of human resources, on the nonprofit’s blog. “But I knew I had to do my due diligence before putting those shoes back on our distribution shelves.”
The shoes were taken to a resale shop in downtown Portland, where the owner explained that they belonged to Lee and were “some of the rarest and most collectible shoes on the market.”
He then offered her $10,000 on the spot to sell it in his shop.
Filmmaker Spike Lee in action while accepting his 2019 Oscar. Chris Pizzallo/Invision/AP
Holcomb took the shoes back and contacted Sotheby’s, the world’s oldest and largest fine art auctioneer, headquartered on the Upper East Side.
The auction house offered to sell it there without a seller’s fee, so the proceeds could benefit the shelter.
The sneakers, which are expected to fetch up to $20,000, are listed on Sotheby’s website. Already, 25 bids have been entered, with the highest so far being $9,500.
He then contacted Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, whose name is embroidered on the pair, who made the trip to the shelter and confirmed the shoes, which were in pristine condition.
He also brought a replacement box and a framed proof of the design, which he signed to add value to the lot.
Nike designer Tinker Hatfield visited the shelter to sign the pair. Sotheby’s
Lee has a history with Nike and Michael Jordan, having appeared alongside the NBA legend in the brand’s commercials, and several custom shoes have been created for him, including the Air Jordan 3s.
The auction hammer price, which is the price at which the auctioneer’s hammer falls, will go to the Portland Rescue Mission, while Sotheby’s will keep the buyer’s premium and overhead from the sale.
“I’m thrilled the shoe ended up here,” Hatfield said in a statement shared by the Portland Rescue Mission. “It’s a happy ending to a really great project.”
The identity of the shoe donor is still unknown.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
