Nike's revitalization of the Nike Dunk back in 2019 is nothing short of a success story. Retroing of classic "Be True to Your School" colorways and launching collaborations with the likes of Virgil Abloh's Off-White was key to building the sneaker's hype. During the Nike Dunk craze there was one particular collaborative effort that reigned supreme - the three-way collaboration with Futura, Off-White, and Nike.
First spotted at the Off-White Spring/Summer 2020 fashion show, the Off-White x Futura Laboratories x Nike Dunk Low pack has been shrouded in mystery. Ever since the sneaker's appearance, people have speculated whether the Off-White x Futura Laboratories x Nike Dunk Low would release to the public, until now...
Sotheby’s is auctioning off eight pairs of the Off-White x Futura Laboratories x Nike Dunk Low in its “UNC” and “New York Mets" colorways. The auction listing reveals that the pairs were never intended for a commercial release. The collaborative effort was done in an effort to disrupt the norms of sneaker culture by ultimately answering the question of, “how do we create an invaluable sneaker?” With that question in mind, the creators always intended the sneakers to be released exclusively to friends and family while all remaining pairs would be made available exclusively through auction.
The Sotheby's auction listing also uncovers the inspirations behind each of the Off-White x Futura Laboratories x Nike Dunk Low colorways. Contrary to popular belief, only one of the sneakers is a nod to the classic BTTYS Nike Dunk Low colorways. The blue pair was inspired by the University of North Carolina Tarheel's Carolina Blue as a means to pay homage to Virgil's childhood hero, Michael Jordan. The orange pair, however, does not draw its inspiration from the BTTYS Syracuse Dunk, but rather Futura’s love for the New York Mets. The pair also references the Nike SB Dunk “Danny Supa” which helped spawn the Nike SB division.
Heading to the auction block, eight pairs of the Off-White x Futura x Nike Dunk Low were available to the public with four coming in the “UNC” colorway and the other four in the “New York Mets” colorway. Sizes 5-12 were available between the eight pairs with no half sizes. The UNC pair was offered in a size 5, 7, 9, and 11 while the Met’s colorway was offered in sizes 6, 8, 10, and 12.
Bidding opened up on April 5th, 2023 at 10:00 EDT on sothebys.com with the estimated price ranging between $2,000 and $4,000. Proceeds from the auction benefit the Virgil Abloh Foundation which will launch later this year in an effort to increase access and opportunities for youth interested in creative careers. The foundation has also pledged to donate half of the proceeds to Futura’s choice of charities including the Art for Justice Fund, the Boys & Girls Club of America, and the Innocence Project.
After the auctions conclusion on April 14th, 2023, Sotheby's was able to raise $565,150 between the eight pairs sold. The average sale price ended up being $70,643.75 with the highest price paid being for a size 10 of the "New York Mets" color scheme which sold for over $100,000. These numbers are far from the estimated sales price and showcases the demand and fervor that Virgil Abloh still maintains following his passing in 2021.
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Images via Sotheby's
