Virgil Abloh designed and signed sneakers amass high auction bids 

Two rare pairs of sneakers designed and signed by the late visionary Virgil Alboh are up for auction at Sotheby’s and bids have already soared well past original estimates of $10,000.

As reported by TMZ, among the prized collectibles featured in the auction house’s Modern Collectibles catalog are an autographed pair of Abloh’s “LV Trainer” from Louis Vuitton, with an $18,000 offer leading the bidding war as of Sunday.

Also up for grabs is a signed pair of the Air Jordan 1 collaboration with Abloh’s streetwear brand Off-White, with the leading bid sitting at $13,000 as of the same day.

Additionally, “The Ten” collection, featuring the renowned designer’s first ten collaborations from his 2017 partnership with Nike, is available in the digital auction and is expected to go for $40,000.

Each pair on the auction block was already coveted by sneakerheads before the November death of Abloh, 41, following a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer. The unique creations he left behind represent relics of one of fashion’s most respected minds.

The green and yellow “LV Trainers” available in the auction debuted in 2019 during Abloh’s tenure as the head artistic director of its menswear collection, and the first African American to helm a line at the luxury company.

The sneakers, which have surpassed their top bid estimate $12,000, feature the words “AIR ABLOH” signed in the designer’s handwriting, with two Polaroid photographs of him posing with the shoes included in the box, per TMZ.

The blue and white Air Jordan 1 and Off-White pair, which has exceeded its high-end estimate of $10,000, is dubbed the “UNC” colorway after the University of North Carolina where Michael Jordan played.

The shoes feature the words “VIRGIL 2018” and “HODEI,” which means “cloud” in the Basque language spoken in parts of Spain and France, and also feature the iconic red zip tie and “Off-White For Nike” labeling, according to TMZ.

In January, according to the outlet, Sotheby’s auctioned off 200 pairs of Abloh’s Nike Air Force 1 collaboration with Louis Vuitton to benefit the celebrated designer’s “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund, dedicated to improving equity and inclusion for underrepresented groups in the fashion industry.

The collection of limited edition sneakers, which Abloh reportedly created for the Spring/Summer 2022 season, sold for a total of $25.3 million, per TMZ.

Sotheby’s Modern Collectibles auction, which features other signed and limited edition sneakers and other items “helping to define a cultural relevance in the collectibles category,” ends April 5. 

theGrio’s Chinekwu Osakwe contributed to this report.

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