Pair of rare trainers anonymously donated to homeless shelter
Chelsea Connor
Featured Image Credit: Dan MacMedan/Getty Images/ Glassdoor
It's not everyday that you would find yourself in the possession of some rare objects.
But once in a blue moon, it can happen - like this expensive painting or a Roman bust of all things being found in a thrift store.
So, when an anonymous donator dropped a pair of golden sneakers into a homeless shelter in Oregon, they initially thought the shoes to be 'amazing replicas'.
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James Free, a formerly homeless man who volunteers at the shelter, discovered the shoes after they were dropped down a chute at the Burnside shelter of Portland Rescue Mission, and noticed that they were still ‘in perfect condition'.
Upon Googling the shoes, the organization found that they looked very similar to a pair of Nike Air Jordan 3s that BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee had worn to the 2019 Academy Awards - which is where he picked up his first Oscar.
“In my head, I thought, ‘Maybe we can sell them on eBay for $100 as replicas'.” Erin Holcomb, the organizations director of staff ministry, told CNN.
He then took them to a local footwear shop - and that’s when he was told that the shoes were not only real but that only a handful of the Spike Lee and Air Jordan sneakers were in circulation.
In fact, they were never set for release to the public.
“I was absolutely shocked because I wouldn’t have ever in a million years imagined that those would have ended up in our donations bin. But obviously I was thrilled and amazed,” Holcomb said.
After confirmation of the authenticity by Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, the shelter went on to sell the shoes at auction - making more than $50,000 in proceeds which were then returned back to the shelter.
But before they made it to the auction house, the shelter found that another pair of the same sneakers had been previously auctioned at Sothebys - which led Holcombe to reach out to them.
The auction house originally estimated that the shoes would sell somewhere in between $15,000 and $20,000 - so you can imagine how overjoyed they were when they received a $50,000 offer.
In a statement to CNN, Sotheby’s explained what made the pair of shoes so special.
“With its limited production and unique design, coupled with designer, Tinker’s, signature on the box and the design proof, these sneakers are a true collector’s item,” Eric LiBassi, a specialist in Sotheby’s Streetwear and Modern Collectibles Department in New York, said.
“This pair is one of very few pairs made. They were reportedly reserved for Spike and a few others on his team.”
As for what the money will go towards, Holcomb says it will help towards services for the shelter, which provides food, restrooms and housing resources amongst other things to those in need, The Independent reports.
“It's a really beautiful, helpful gift and it is a piece of a much larger story of generosity in our community.” she said.