Pair of filthy and battered Nike trainers called Moon Shoes are on sale for £150,000
A PAIR of filthy and battered Nike trainers are on sale for £150,000.
They were among the first pioneering track and field shoes made by the company’s co-founder Bill Bowerman in 1972.
They are one of just a handful of pairs of so-called Moon Shoes known to exist.
American athletics coach Bill, who died in 1999 aged 88, got the idea for their groundbreaking studded sole by pouring rubber into his wife’s waffle maker.
London auction house Sotheby’s is flogging the old trainers online.
It says: “The Moon Shoe got its name from the resemblance between the impression that the waffle pattern left in dirt and the famous tracks left on the moon by astronauts in 1969.”
It adds: “The Nike “Moon Shoe” is one of the most significant artifacts in the history of the multi-billion dollar athletic brand.
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“One of a small group of pairs known to exist, this Moon Shoe is a handmade running shoe designed by Nike co-founder and legendary University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman. As the famous story goes, Bowerman was first inspired to create the innovative waffle sole traction pattern found on the brand’s early running shoes by tinkering with his wife’s waffle iron, pouring rubber into the mould to create the first prototype of the sole.
“The finished design of the traction pattern created better grip and cushion than most running shoes of the time, and the waffle sole was Nike’s first major innovation as a brand.”
Buyers are warned that any sale is final and the shoes cannot be returned.
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