200 pairs of Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 sneakers up for auction
Louis Vuitton’s star designer Virgil Abloh continues to make a statement—even after his death.
French fashion house Louis Vuitton and sportswear brand Nike announced on Wednesday, Jan. 19 the launch of its limited Air Force 1 sneakers that were created by the late designer.
Abloh, who died of cancer in November 2021 at the age of 41, unveiled the sneakers in June 2021 as part of his Spring 2022 menswear collection for Louis Vuitton.
The kicks showed the popular Louis Vuitton pattern displayed on the sleek Nike Air Force 1 sneakers.
In a statement provided to WWD, two hundred pairs of the limited-edition sneakers will go on sale through the auction house Sotheby’s, with proceeds going to the Virgil Abloh “Post Modern” scholarship fund.
The scholarship fund was launched by Abloh for black fashion students in 2020 with an endowment of $1 million (approximately P51 million).
The limited-edition sneakers will come in a range of sizes from 5 to 18 and in an exclusive colorway. Each pair will be sold along with a Louis Vuitton pilot case made of Taurillon Monogram Leather, which was included in the fashion house’s Spring-Summer 2022 collection.
The bidding will open from Jan. 26 to Feb. 18. For those who can’t score the limited-edition kicks, the commercial launch will reportedly be available “later this year.”
Meanwhile, the sneakers will be available for viewing at Sotheby’s New York from Jan. 19 to Feb. 8.