These Nikes way too big for your shoes?

These were always big shoes to be filled. Nike's Air Force range of sneakers, since their introduction in 1982, remains a rage with basketball players and a landmark object in (American) street culture - and, by extension, a must-have for rich kids across the world, including in Bata chappal India. But the Air Force 1 entered the rack of legends when, earlier this week, 200 pairs of the special range of Louis Vuitton-Nike Air Force 1 sneakers - created by iconic designer Virgil Abloh who passed away last year of cancer - raked in $25 million at a Sotheby's auction. The original Air Force 1, designed by Bruce Kilgore and one of Nike's low-range sports shoes, still flies off the shelves with a ₹6,500-10,000 tag. But a size 5 Abloh-created pair went for - wait for it - $350,000. ₹2.63 crore, or, if you prefer, ₹1.32 crore per foot, better be really, really, really comfortable for the wearer.

The all-leather lace sneakers range made in Fiesso d'Artico in Italy, with Abloh's signature marks and both the Nike Swoosh logo as well as Louis Vuitton's chhappa may be worth every shekel the Sotheby's buyers spent to hopefully wear them even when going to bed. But as a basketballer's favourite pumps, would anyone dare to shoot some hoop on the street with these ₹1 lakh and above shoes on? Perhaps they will be framed for the wall.