LONDON. Fans of Elvis Presley now have the chance to own a piece of rock ‘n’ roll history as the King’s famous blue suede shoes are set to be auctioned. The British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son is handling the sale, with the shoes expected to fetch between £100,000 and £120,000 (approximately $126,000 to $152,000).
These size 10.5 “Nunn-Bush” brand shoes were worn by Presley both on and off stage during the 1950s. According to the auction house, Elvis donned these shoes while performing hits like “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and “Hound Dog” on “The Steve Allen Show” in 1956. He later gifted them to his friend Alan Fortas in 1958, the night before leaving for the US Army.
The shoes have been authenticated by Jimmy Velvet, a close friend of Presley and the founder of the Elvis Presley Museum. The lot comes with a letter of authenticity hand-signed by Velvet and a letter from Fortas detailing the night he received the shoes.
“The night before Elvis’ army induction here in Memphis, Elvis had an all-night party at Graceland,” Fortas’ letter states, according to the auction site. “Afterwards we went to the Rainbow roller rink. When we all got home, Elvis called some of us upstairs and gave away some of the clothes he didn’t think he would be wearing or wanted when he returned from the army. That night Elvis gave me these blue suede shoes size 10 1/2. I’ve owned these all these years,” the letter continues.
The auction will go live on Friday, with bidding for the shoes starting at £55,000 (around $69,600). Described as “an iconic lot of showbusiness memorabilia that simply transcends 20th-century popular culture,” these shoes will surely attract significant interest from collectors and fans alike.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
