A Closer Look at the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Grammy Prototype Sneakers

Nike Air Yeezy 1 (Grammy Prototype)

Nike has made a habit of producing some of the most highly desired sneakers that the world has ever seen. It’s among the top brands in the world when it comes to casual as well as professional footwear. They’ve also developed quite a reputation for their design of limited edition sneakers with a very special thematic value that drives sneakerheads wild. While the average price of a new model can range from $90 to $240, limited editions often go for several hundred into the thousands. Such is the case with the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Grammy Prototype. This sneaker has been put on the market for a price of between $75,000 to $130,000. You may be wondering what could possibly drive the cost to such an astronomical amount? As we indicated, it’s a very special edition and here’s why it has received such a high valuation.

When we first heard about the Nike Air Yeezy 1 Grammy Edition we were intrigued about a sneaker that carried such a high price tag. It was first reported that it was selling for $75,000 on Sneakerfreak in 2015. We were interested in learning more about the history of the model to know more about why it was designed and what makes it such a special edition. We discovered that Kanye West had entered into a collaborative venture with Nike to design a new sneaker line that was called the Yeezy in 2008. When he appeared at the Grammys that year, he showed up in a pair of them and it set the sneaker world on fire with wagging tongues and the beginnings of a massive riot of hype about the kicks that he was sporting at the gala event. This would be the world’s first look at the Yeezy’s first original design. If you’ve been following the collection, you know that this particular model has undergone an evolution and it’s one of the most solid and successful models within the brand, perhaps coming in slightly behind Michael Jordan’s collections. To make a long story short, Kanye was earing the prototype of the Yeezy 1 and this is what makes this pair of sneakers so very special. Of course, this was an early example of the design and it would undergo a few tweaks before its official release to the public, but it was one heck of a teaser.

The original Yeezy in a size 12

The original Yeezy 1 prototype in a size 12 which made its first appearance to the world was actually worn by Kanye at the 2008 Grammy Awards. The pair that was put up for sale for $75,000 was not a production example, but rather, the same shoes that were actually worn on the Grammy Stage. This is why the shoes are assigned such a high value. The facts are, they’re the only one of their kind made, they’re a prototype for the Yeezy line and Kanye had them on his feet. This makes them truly one of a kind and ultra rare, driving the value up to an insane level, according to this article.

Notable features of the Air Yeezy Grammy Edition Prototype

The prototype of the Air Yeezy 1 Grammy sneakers had some major differences with distinguishing the shoes from those which would follow as production models. The prototype features a black leather upper with panels that are perforated for natural airflow which extend through the tongue and the vamp. According to Goat.com, the outsole is an interesting glow in the dark feature and the red lace lock has a translucent quality with an attractive midfoot strap which serves as a part of the locked-in-fit system with Kanye West designated as the designer of the prototype and the new line.

The Nike Air Yeezy Grammy Prototype increase in value

We were interested in knowing what happened since 2015 when the prototype of the Yeezy 1 sneakers which were shown off at the Grammys then offered for $75k. According to Fashionbeans, the original prototype of the Yeezy 1 was sold at an eBay auction and the money was donated to the Dornbecher Children’s hospital which is located in the Pacific Northwest in Portland, Oregon. But what has happened o them since then? A search to discover their whereabouts turned up an interesting advertisement of the shoe which was not currently in stock with the famed online vendor known to carry rare editions. We did see that they had posted a photo of the famous shoes with the price tag of $130,000, an icon for receiving notification of when the 2007 edition is in stock and an additional link for notice of any price drops. In short, they’re not currently available, but they’re now valued at nearly twice their original estimated worth. Attempts to find out who currently owns the famous kicks were unsuccessful.

Final thoughts

Nike continues to produce special edition shoes that become the most hyped and valuable collector’s items in the sneaker world. This doesn’t seem to be something they have to try very hard to accomplish. Their collaborations with some of the biggest celebrities in sports and entertainment in the world yield interesting new designs, with an interesting back story that has a high level of appeal to the general population as well as to collectors. Some of their more unique releases go for ridiculously high prices that can climb to over a million such as the Michael Jordan Flu Game edition which have also been signed by the star basketball player, yet the shoes are in obviously used condition, but this is one of the things that enhance their value. Collectibles, in the end, are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them and in the case o the Nike Air Yeezy Grammy prototype, the last known selling price was $75K, but it looks like someone is valuing them at $130k.

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