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Adidas and Meissen Pair Up

December 28, 2020

Adidas hand painted sneakers with designs from meissen porcelainAre you in the market for a new pair of running shoes?  Then these are probably not for you, but they are the coolest sneakers I have ever seen!  Sotheby’s held an online auction with just one lot; a collaborative effort that showcased a single pair of Adidas leather sneakers that were enhanced by the porcelain designs of Meissen.

I am sure everyone is familiar with Adidas, which was founded in 1949 in Germany… but if you are not familiar with Meissen, it was the first European (German) company to make hard-paste (true) porcelain; Meissen has been producing porcelain since 1709.  Both Adidas and Meissen continue to be leading manufacturers and innovators in their fields – these sneakers are proof that Meissen’s designs are not just for tableware.

The sneakers are from Adidas’ A-ZX collection, which ranges in price from $100-160.  Meissen’s contribution includes hand-painted leather and porcelain overlays on the tongue and heel. Inspired by the Meissen Krater Vase, which was designed by Ernst August Leuteritz in 1856, the sneakers feature fifteen of the vase’s one hundred and thirty different patterns. It took six months to create the pair that weigh just over 2 pounds…if you could wear them you would not need ankle weights to exercise.

The one-of-a-kind pair had a very broad estimate of $1 – 1,000,000…yes, you read that right, I guess no one really knew what they were worth.  Well, when the online bidding finally closed the sneakers sold for $132,000… I am surprised that they didn’t sell for more!

What is really great about this sale is that 100% of the hammer price is going to the Brooklyn Museum to support arts education in New York.

And Adidas recently did sell a limited edition of the sneakers available through their Creator’s Club – I did register, but sadly did not get a pair…they were priced at $160.  If you are still interested in buying a pair, I saw that there are a few pairs available on eBay, ranging in price from $200 – 418; I am just not sure if they are legit.

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