A rare piece of Apple memorabilia goes up for sale in March. A pair of Apple sneakers from the 1990s will be auctioned off to someone who wants to remember a troubled time in the company’s history.
The auction is for “Apple Computer Sneakers, late 20th century.” They are being sold through Heritage Auctions, which says, “These sneakers were produced by Apple exclusively for their employees in the early 1990s.”
The shoes are white, with the classic rainbow company logo on the side and tongue. “Apple” is also printed on the side in the font used in the company’s early days. This pair is size 9 1/2, and they have been worn.
Bidding begins Tuesday, March 3, and ends Tuesday, March 24. There’s no minimum bid.
The curious history of Apple sneakers
Few remember today that Apple almost entered the shoe business back in the 1990s. Co-founder Steve Jobs had been forced out and the company was struggling. It went looking for other options than Macs, and tried video game consoles and restaurants. Apple also teamed up with Adidas to produce tennis shoes.
The plan was obviously scrapped because no Apple sneakers ever went on sale. Some were given to Apple employees, but it’s not known how many pairs ever existed in total, much less how many are around now.
Anyone looking for something newer can consider the Converse CCM-96 Match, a pair intended to “pay homage to the early days of personal computing.” They resemble the Apple shoes, and sell for $390.
