There’s a new hotel in Oregon that’s proud to have an old pair of shoes sitting in the lobby.
A Nike-themed property in Eugene paid a Sacramento, Calif., man $50,000 for his rare sneakers last month, reports Fox40.
Dave Russell was 25 years old when he was vying for a spot on the 1972 Olympic marathon team, reports Fox40.
He was given these early prototype shoes designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. Only 12 of these waffle-soled Moon Shoes were made.
“They were very unorthodox shoes. They were very exotic because the sole was completely different,” Russell told Fox40. “It was made on a waffle iron. It was glued to the bottom of the shoe. The shoe was completely handmade.”
Were they any good?
“Oh, I loved them, they fit like a glove,” he said.
Russell told Fox that it was only recently that he looked into selling the rare shoes.
“I kind of had an idea what they were worth, so yeah, but it far exceeded that,” Dave Russell told Fox40 with a laugh. “Who’d pay this kind of money for some funky, old shoes?”
The Graduate hotel in Eugene boasts a display of dozens of vintage Nike running shoes.
Russell told Fox40 the money will go to his kids and grandkids.
