VOA慢速英语--一双罕见的旧耐克鞋以数十万美元的拍卖价格成交

Old, Rare Nike Shoes Sold for Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars

A pair of Nike company running shoes from 1972 sold for a record-breaking $437,500 in a public auction¹ Tuesday.

The so-called Nike “Moon Shoe,” was one of the first Nike shoes. They were designed the for runners at the 1972 Olympic trials.

The sale was made at Sotheby’s auction house in New York. Officials there said the price set a new a record for a pair of sneakers. Canadian investor² and car collector Miles Nadal bought the shoes. Nadal last week paid $850,000 for 99 other pairs of rare or limited-collection sneakers that Sotheby’s was offering.

Before Tuesday, the highest price at a public auction for sneakers was $190,373 in California in 2017. That was for a pair of signed Converse³ shoes that basketball star Michael Jordan reportedly wore in the 1984 Olympic finals, Sotheby’s said.

Sotheby’s is best known for selling art works for tens of millions of dollars. But it has been working with streetwear marketplace Stadium Goods to auction 100 pairs of the rarest sneakers ever produced.

The handmade “Moon Shoe,” was one of only 12 pairs ever made. The pair sold Tuesday are the only ones known to exist in an unworn condition, Sotheby’s said.

Nadal expressed excitement about his purchase. He called the “Moon Shoe” a “true historical artifact in sports history and pop culture.”

He said he plans to show them, along with his 99 other newly bought shoes, at his private automobile⁴ center in Toronto.

Noah Wunsch is the head of international eCommerce at Sotheby’s. He said the sneaker auction brought together art, culture and fashion.

“We are eager to see where this sale takes us, not only in future sneaker offerings, but also in other new luxury lifestyle areas,” Wunsch said.

I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.

Words in This Story

pair -n. two like things designed for use together?

auction -n. a sale of property to the highest bidder⁵?

sneakers -n. a sports shoe with a pliable⁶ rubber sole?

artifact -n. something characteristic of or resulting from a particular human institution, period, trend, or individual?

eager -adj. marked by enthusiastic or impatient desire or interest?

luxury -n. a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort

1 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

2 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

3 converse   

vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反

参考例句：

• He can converse in three languages.他可以用3种语言谈话。
• I wanted to appear friendly and approachable but I think I gave the converse impression.我想显得友好、平易近人些,却发觉给人的印象恰恰相反。

4 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

5 bidder   

n.(拍卖时的)出价人，报价人，投标人

参考例句：

• TV franchises will be auctioned to the highest bidder.电视特许经营权将拍卖给出价最高的投标人。
• The bidder withdrew his bid after submission of his bid.投标者在投标之后撤销了投标书。

6 pliable   

adj.易受影响的；易弯的；柔顺的，易驾驭的

参考例句：

• Willow twigs are pliable.柳条很软。
• The finely twined baskets are made with young,pliable spruce roots.这些编织精美的篮子是用柔韧的云杉嫩树根编成的。