In recent years, sneakers have become not only the most popular footwear option among the general public (thanks to the emergence of athleisure fashion) but certain styles have also been setting records at auctions signaling that “sneakerhead” culture is now on par with art.
Case in point?
A one-of-a-kind pair of kicks created by Adidas in collaboration with legendary German porcelain maker Meissen just fetched $126,000 at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City.
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The ZX8000 Porcelain took six months to create and assemble, as it had to be moved numerous times between the sportswear company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach and Meissen’s factory in Germany. The sneakers are crafted from the finest leather that was hand-painted by Meissen artisans and also features hand-made porcelain overlays. The inspiration behind the bold motifs is the Meissen Krater Vase that was first designed in 1856 and that has sported over 130 different patterns throughout its history. Fifteen of them, meticulously created by four Meissen painters, now adorn the ZX8000 Porcelain turning it into a true work of art.
Sneaker aficionados had a little over a week to place bids for this unique pair of kicks. The ZX8000 Porcelain is now one of the most expensive pairs of sneakers ever sold at an auction. It also set a world auction record for an Adidas sneaker.
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And it was all for a good cause, too—all proceeds from the sale will benefit art programming in the Brooklyn Museum that will provide access to the arts for local youth.
If you would still like to get a piece of this collaboration made in art (and porcelain) heaven, don’t despair. Adidas is releasing a commercially available ZX 10,000 shoe collection on December 18 that celebrates the Meissen craftsmanship. The shoes will retail for $180 and will be available on adidas.com.
