Nike co-founder and trainer William Jay "Bill" Bowerman (1911-1999).
“God determines how fast you will run. I can only help with the mechanics." Bill Bowerman said. You're still in time to put on one of his historic creations or, rather, to put them in a showcase. Today is the last day to bid at Sotheby's New York auction and get your hands on some prehistoric Nikes.
Bill Bowerman created these sneakers in 1970 for athlete John Mays.
We refer to the trainers that visionary shoemaker Bill Bowerman crafted for runner John Mays in 1970 or early 1971 – before Nike was officially founded, which was in the spring of 1971 – and that it is estimated that They will be sold for the modest price of $150,000.
This is a unique opportunity to capture an important chapter in the history of Nike, sport and fashion in general. Bill Bowerman was one of the great innovators of his time and today he is considered part of the heart of the firm.
The soles of these collector's items for sports and history lovers.
Is It is the first time that shoes created by Bowerman have come up for auction, that he was a track coach at the University of Oregon and used to make custom shoes for his runners. In fact, hardly any examples have survived to this day.
Bill trained dozens of Olympic athletes, so he knew their needs firsthand. In this case, it's an ultra low-top, lightweight design with an unadorned heel and sharp metal spikes in the forefoot for propulsion.
Bowerman's handwritten letter accompanying the auction lot.
Mays used these shoes in the 1972 Olympic trials and then they were perfected in 1974: Bowerman added a leather overlay to the forefoot and his famous waffle traction pattern. The lot includes a letter written to Mays by Bowerman, explaining the modifications. in detail, although the athlete never used them again.
Visionary shoemaker Bill Bowerman with athlete John Mays.
ANATOMY OF A SNEAKERS
The right shoe that goes up for auction shows a good example of Bowerman's need to innovate, as it incorporates a waffle sole (waffle), absent in the left, which does have six spikes. This outsole shows signs of wear, from heel to toe, with the exception of the side support panels. The spikes on the right show wear, but the waffles and back half do not.
The original laces are also preserved and the brown glue can be seen all over the upper part (they were not sewn). Unfortunately, Bowerman suffered damage to his health due to constant exposure to fumes from these tails, as he worked in poorly ventilated spaces. On the heels of this historic treasure can be read Mays in the handwriting of Bowerman, who used to pen the names of his athletes.
“Many times, Bill would tell me about a new company that he was involved with. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time," Mays recalled of this pair of sneakers. One day, he asked me to help him try out a new shoe that he was designing. I gave him my impressions of whether they were comfortable and in what parts.” Mays used them at the NCAA Track and Field Championships and at the 1972 Olympic Trials in Eugene.
Another of the models created by Bowerman in the 60s.
Sotheby's has already broken a record with the auction of Michael Jordan's 1985 autographed Nike Air Jordan 1s, which fetched $560,000. This auction is done in collaboration with Jordan Geller of ShoeZeum.