When you think of Apple, it’s likely that what first comes to mind is a conveyor belt of revolutionary tech rather than a pair of sneakers.
But a pair of “ultra-rare” Apple sneakers are now being sold by auctioneers Sotheby’s for $50,000, fetching a higher price tag than any current Apple product.
Complete with the rainbow Apple logo on the tongue and side, the white trainers were custom-made for the company’s employees as a one-time giveaway at a National Sales Conference in the mid-1990s.
Byrcekyd: Nigeria’s Afro-pop artist releases “Peace of Mind”
“Having never reached the general public, this particular pair of sneakers is one of the most obscure in existence,” Sotheby’s said in its catalog.
Although Apple rarely produces sneakers, in 1986 the tech brand released a range of clothing and accessories dubbed “The Apple Collection,” featuring mugs, umbrellas, bags, keyrings and even a sailboard, all emblazoned with the rainbow Apple logo, according to a catalog published that year. The previous year, 22,000 people bought Apple shirts from the company.
These were known as “white label products,” manufactured by a third-party company such as Lamy, Honda or Braun, but sold by Apple using its own branding and logo.
The size 10.5 trainers are freshly packaged in their box and come with a pair of red laces, Sotherby’s said. However, they show some signs of aging, including yellowing around the midsoles and glue as well as light marks on the toe boxes.
Tupac Shakur’s Ring sells for record $1 million at New York auction
This pair of sneakers is not the first vintage Apple product to have sold for an eye-watering sum in recent months.
A first-edition 2007 iPhone sold for more than $190,000 at auction last month, far exceeding the auctioneer’s estimate. In addition, a pair of old Birkenstock sandals owned and worn by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs fetched $200,000 at an auction in November 2022.
