New Delhi: In a homage and a verdict to the 'alive and kicking' sneaker culture, shoes designed by late US designer Virgil Abloh sold for around $25 million in an online auction.
Sotheby's held the online auction from January 26 to February 8 and sold 200 pairs of the Louis Vuitton and Nike Air Force 1 sneakers designed by Abloh.
Sotheby's told news agency AFP, the highest bid for a sneaker went for more than $350,000. Overall sneakers averaged more than $100,000 per shoe and the cheapest one was sold for just over $75,000.
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According to Sotheby's, more than 1200 buyers from 50 countries participated in the online auction process. Half of those who were able to successfully purchase a pair of shoes were under the age of 40.
The auction, held exclusively online, began just six days after the presentation of Abloh's last Vuitton collection in Paris in front of an emotional audience that included stars Rihanna, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams, reports AFP.
Abloh was the artistic director to create a special edition sneaker for Louis Vuitton's spring-summer men's collection for 2022.
DJ, architect, and designer, Abloh died in November 2021 at the age of 41 following a battle with cancer.
Proceeds from the Abloh shoe auction will go to a scholarship fund created by the late multi-talented creative artist himself. The scholarship fund supports aspiring designers of Black, African American, or African descent.