As reported last month, Sotheby's is auctioning off over 120 historic hip-hop-related items. A wide variety of memorabilia is up for grabs, ranging from Notorious B.I.G.'s famous "King of New York" golden crown to rare graffiti and art. Included in the sprawling lot is a pair of Drake's elusive "Splatter" Air Jordan IVs.
A sneaker with a muddled history, the "Splatter" Air Jordan IV first surfaced in sample form as part of the model's original run in 1989. With details similar to the classic "Bred" Air Jordan IV, the "Splatter" version saw the addition of a splattered red and white paint pattern across its rear midsole and heel. It also flipped the black underlay on the netting for a contrasting white.
Despite being conceptualized back in '89, the "Splatter" Air Jordan IV has never seen a public release. It was all but forgotten by most sneakerheads until Drake showed off an October's Very Own-branded version in 2017. The following year, reports surfaced that the pair was due for a release, but that never materialized—perhaps due to Drake ending his partnership with Jordan Brand.
While it doesn't look like these Jordan IVs will be releasing any time soon, there will be a chance for fans to get their hands on a size 11 sample of Drake's OVO iteration. It will be included in the aforementioned Sotheby's auction, which will go live tomorrow, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. ET in NYC. Ahead of the live auction, bids have already reached $11,000, with Sotheby's pegging the estimated ending value at around $12,000.
For more information, visit Sotheby's.
UPDATE (09/15): The auction for Drake's unreleased "Splatter" Air Jordan IV has officially closed. Originally expected to fetch somewhere between $10,000 and $12,000, the special edition sneaker just sold for $32,760.
