AIR YEEZY 1 PROTOTYPE SELLS FOR $1.8M

Kanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototype
Sells For $1.8 Million At Sotheby’s.

One of the most documented Yeezy sample sneakers in history has sold at a mind-blowing $1.8 million at Sotheby’s auction. Known in the sneaker community as the “Prototype”, this sneaker first came to light when Kanye West himself wore them during his live performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards; eyes were glued to Ye’s feet as he and Daft Punk collaborated on the show. It is considered to be the rarest Yeezy sneaker ever.

The Air Yeezy 1 “Prototype” was certainly not the beginning of Kanye West’s foray into footwear, as he collaborated regularly with Nike (on special colorways), A Bathing Ape, and Louis Vuitton before launch his first true signature shoe with Nike in 2009. But the Air Yeezy 1 was pivotal in Kanye’s development into a true industry competitor that just a decade later is competing with Michael Jordan in sales of lifestyle fashion sneakers. After the Air Yeezy 1 launched in summer 2009 to much fanfare, resell prices eclipsed $1,000 – a rarity during that era of sneakers. $1,000 is just one grain of sand in today’s massive sneaker resell industry, but at the time, it was unheard of. The sequel, the Air Yeezy 2, dropped in 2012, with the infamous “Red October” launching in early 2014. During that time gap, Kanye and Nike had a quiet yet dramatic split, leading to the birth of the YEEZY brand under adidas. Letting Kanye walk to its primary competitor stands as perhaps their most questionable decision of the modern era of the brand.

Before sneakers caught the attention of luxury auctions houses, the Prototype Yeezys were a regular fixture on eBay. These 1-of-1 Prototypes at one point were listed at $50,000 and later $75,000 by private sellers, which obviously pales in comparison to the $1.8 million it sold for at auction.

The buyer is RARES, which specializes in fractional ownership of collectible sneakers and other goods. Gerome Sapp, CEO & Co-Founder of RARES, commented: “We are thrilled to work with Sotheby’s on this acquisition. Our goal in purchasing such an iconic shoe – and a piece of history – is to increase accessibility and empower the communities that birthed sneaker culture with the tools to gain financial freedom through RARES. We look forward to working with Sotheby’s to continue to identify rare finds that will help elevate, preserve and uphold sneaker culture.” Those who are interested in owning a piece of the Air Yeezy 1 “Prototype” will eventually do so through the RARES platform.

AIRPODMAX

AirPods Max.

Exhilarating high-fidelity audio and the effortless magic of AirPods. Introducing AirPods Max — designed to fully immerse you in rich, deep bass, accurate mids, and crisp, clean highs. All delivered with ultra‑low distortion across the audible range. The ultimate personal listening experience is here.

Introducing AirPods Max, a perfect balance of exhilarating high-fidelity audio and the effortless magic of AirPods. The ultimate personal listening experience is here.

A radically original composition. The over-ear headphone has been completely reimagined. From cushion to canopy, AirPods Max are designed for an uncompromising fit that creates the optimal acoustic seal for many different head shapes — fully immersing you in every sound.
• The canopy spanning the headband is made from a breathable knit mesh, distributing weight to reduce on‑head pressure.
• The stainless steel frame is wrapped with a soft-to-the-touch material for a remarkable combination of strength, flexibility, and comfort.
• Telescoping arms smoothly extend and stay where you set them, for a consistent fit and seal.
• The beautifully anodized aluminum cupsfeature a revolutionary mechanism that allows each cup to rotate independently and balance pressure.
• Crafted with acoustically engineered memory foam, the ear cushions gently create an immersive seal that is the foundation of incredible sound.
• Five colors. Anything but monotone.

Audio quality. Sounds like an epiphany.
AirPods Max combine high-fidelity audio with industry-leading Active Noise Cancellation to deliver an unparalleled listening experience. Each part of their custom-built driver works to produce sound with ultra-low distortion across the audible range. From deep, rich bass to accurate mids and crisp, clean highs, you’ll hear every note with a new sense of clarity.

Immersive listening.
To cancel unwanted external sound, AirPods Max use a total of six outward-facing microphones to detect noise in your environment, and two inward-facing microphones to measure what you’re hearing. Beamforming microphones help isolate your voice on phone calls, so it’s heard clearly — even in windy situations.

Immersive listening

To cancel unwanted external sound, AirPods Max use a total of six outward-facing microphones to detect noise in your environment, and two inward-facing microphones to measure what you’re hearing. Beamforming microphones help isolate your voice on phone calls, so it’s heard clearly — even in windy situations.

Hear every detail.
The Apple-designed dynamic driver produces a wide frequency range that uncovers the rich details of every sound — delivering your favorite songs with previously unheard texture and accuracy.

Distortionless playback.
Modeled after those in high-end floor-standing speakers, the driver’s dual-neodymium ring magnet motor minimizes total harmonic distortion across the entire audible range. The result is consistently clear playback, even at full volume.

Computational audio. Key to performance.
With a powerful Apple‑designed H1 chip in each cup, our custom acoustic design, and advanced software, AirPods Max use computational audio to create a breakthrough listening experience. By tapping into each chip’s 10 audio cores, computational audio helps block outside noise, adapts audio to the fit and seal of your ear cushions, and makes movie scenes sound like they’re happening all around you.

Industry‑leading Active Noise Cancellation counters external sound with equal anti‑noise, allowing you to immerse yourself in what you’re listening to.

Press the noise control button to switch to Transparency mode, which lets outside sound in so you can interact naturally with your surroundings.

Adaptive EQ tailors sound to the bespoke fit and seal created by the ear cushions. Inward-facing microphones measure what you’re hearing, then adjust the frequencies of your music to deliver a rich, consistent experience that faithfully reproduces every note.

Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking gives you a theater‑like experience for movies and shows, with sound that surrounds you. Using built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers, AirPods Max and your iPhone or iPad track the subtle motion of your head, anchoring sounds to your device.

Magical experience. Elaborately simple. AirPods Max inherit all of the wireless, effortless magic of the AirPods family. From setup to Siri commands, they make the listening experience completely fluid — day to day, device to device.

One-tap setup. AirPods Max connect immediately to your iPhone or iPad. To pair, simply place AirPods Max near your device and tap Connect on your screen.

Seamless switching. Seamlessly move between your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you’re playing music on your Mac and take a call on your iPhone, AirPods Max will automatically switch over.

Audio Sharing. Easily share an audio stream between two sets of AirPods on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV. Bring any AirPods near the device you’re listening to and connect in a tap.

On-head detection. AirPods Max pause audio when you take them off, and resume playback when you put them back on. So you never miss a beat.

Announce Messages. Let Siri speak incoming messages as they arrive with Announce Messages. You can even tell Siri to respond — no hands required.

Always-on Siri. Get directions, check the weather, schedule a meeting, and more with a simple “Hey Siri.” With an expansive set of commands, your favorite personal assistant is more helpful than ever.

A case with staying power. When stored in their soft, slim Smart Case, AirPods Max enter an ultra‑low‑power state that preserves charge.

A battery that keeps stayin’ alive. 20hours of listening, movie watching, or talk time — with Active Noise Cancellation and spatial audio enabled. Simply charge via Lightning connector. A quick 5‑minute charge delivering 1.5 hours of listening.

Buy AirPods Max At Apple $91.50/Month or $549.00

NIKE AIR TRAINER VIOTECH

NIKE AIR TRAINER VIOTECH

Amidst the early-1990s Nike Trainer push is the Air Trainer 3, the multi-purpose sneaker made famous by the likes of Bo Jackson. Its most recognizable color way is undoubtedly the original “Medicine Ball”, a relic from the decade that has seen the light of store shelves numerous times over the year. But what is inarguably its most popular is 2002’s “Viotech”, a more vivid and playful approach to what is typically deemed a no-nonsense gym sneaker. The Air Trainer 3 “Viotech” is, of course most known for its Viotech purple exterior, but the trim of grey and yellow combined for an iconic package of colors that essentially defined the earlier part of the 2000s. With the Viotech Dunks coming back in late 2019, it’s apparent that many classics from that area were fair game in terms of a retro, so we’re finally happy to confirm that the Viotech Trainers will indeed be back this year. Peep the official images ahead and stay tuned for a closer look.

In other early-90s Trainer news, the Supreme Cross Trainer will be dropping soon this season.

Nike Air Trainer 3 $130
Style Code: CZ6393-500
Color: Viotech/Dandelion-Viola-Grey Slate

via sneaker news

JORDAN x MARS BLACKMON 270

Spike Lee’s Son Designed The Jordan Mars 270

Ever since the days of Mars Blackmon in the ’80s, Spike Lee and Jordan Brand have had a long and bountiful relationship, working together on everything from memorable ad campaigns to silhouettes like the Jordan Spiz’ike and Son Of Mars. Now, the iconic Brooklyn-born creative force is passing the torch, as he recently announced that it was in fact his son Jackson Lewis Lee who worked with the Jumpman on the Jordan Mars 270, a new Mars-series lifestyle sneaker. 

Apart from the announcement, Lee also unveiled a new “Fire Red” colorway of the silhouette that clearly plays up its Air Jordan 5 inspiration. The upper is dressed in a white leather with crimson accents on the tongue/heel tab, while the midsole is split between black and red and the outsole offers an icy translucent blue. However, it’s not an exact homage, as the tongue unfortunately opts against the shimmering silver/stark black tongues that the “Fire Red” is known for. Design cues from the Air Jordan 1, Air Jordan 4, and Air Jordan 6 are also pulled in to add further to the Lee family’s signature hybrid look. An Air Max 270-style cushioning unit then finalizes Jackson’s first design. You can expect the Mars 270 to begin rolling out over the summer months, so enjoy an early look at this heritage-filled colorway above and check a store list below to see where you can get a pair. via sneaker news by ross dwyer

Jordan Mars 270