Pharrell’s Joopiter platform is gearing up for its latest rare sneaker auction.
According to the musician’s auction company, its upcoming fifth sale, dubbed “Chasing Grails,” will bring to market three first-iteration prototypes of the collectible Supreme x Nike SB Dunk High.
Over twenty years ago, Supreme and Nike SB’s second collaboration reinterpreted the 1986 “Be True to Your School” Nike Dunk colorways. The original take on the classic design produced samples were flooded with golden Nike Swoosh logos. The design was allegedly rejected, and Supreme swapped the Swooshes to golden stars for their limited commercial release.
Joopiter said in a statement on Monday that these styles were believed to have been destroyed, or locked away in a vault, never to be seen by the public again.
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Now for this sale, the Supreme x Nike SB Dunk High prototypes are offered as three complete pairs, contrary to most Nike samples which are traditionally produced as single half-pairs. All three pairs were acquired in 2020 from a direct source, and are consigned by Ryan Chang, one of the most notable sneaker collectors in the world.
All lots are offered with no reserve, giving equal opportunity to all bidders for their chance to own a piece of sneaker history. Each style is expected to sell between $30,000 and $50,000.
“Joopiter enters the sneaker market with a dedicated sale of three of the most significant shoes to come to the secondary auction market,” Caitlin Donovan, head of global sales at Joopiter, told FN. “Thought to have been destroyed, or locked away in a vault, we are excited to offer three initial iteration prototypes of one of the most coveted and collectible Nike collaborations. Rarity, provenance and collectability make this sale of great importance to the ever-evolving streetwear and new luxury collectible auction market.”
Global bidding for these three styles will be open from Sept. 26 to Oct. 3 at Joopiter.com.
This latest auction follows similar sales by the musician’s online platform, which launched last year.
In June, the platform’s “Just Phriends” auction closed at a total of $3.85 million in sales, with 42 percent of lots in the sale selling above their high estimate. Some of the lots included rare footwear finds like the Chanel x Pharrell x Adidas Hu NMD Trail Sneakers from 2017 and the Adidas x Pharrell Stan Smith from 2014.
Last month, Joopiter’s “Holding Court” auction raised $300,000 in sales. All proceeds from that auction went to the Yetunde Price Resource Center, which is supported by Isha Price, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
