Steve Jobs, his old Birkenstocks sold at auction for $ 218,000

Worn by Steve Jobs back in the 1970s, this pair of beige suede Birkenstocks fetched the highest price in their history, reports the The Guardian. The sandal she was wearing sold for over 218,000 dollars (209,000 euros) to an anonymous seller during an auction held on Sunday 13 November in New York. In stores, the model is on sale for just $125. “The cork and jute sole preserves the imprint of Steve Jobs’ feet, which was formed after years of use,” he said Julien’s Auctions in the announcement on its website.

The Californian auction house said the computer genius wore this pair of sandals at crucial moments in Apple’s history. In 1976 he began designing the Apple computer in a garage in Los Altos, south of San Francisco, with Steve Wozniakwearing sandals.

Steve Jobs was fascinated by shoes and even turned to Margot Fraser, who introduced the brand in the United States, to try them out. She, who passed away in 2017, testified: «he wanted to know everything about materials and was also interested in the technical aspect».

A historic sandal

Before being offered for sale, this pair of Birkenstocks belonged to Mark SheffSteve Jobs manager. Steve Jobs’ sandals have been the subject of numerous exhibitions, including one at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 2017. In the same year they were exhibited at the Birkenstock headquarters in Rahms, Germany, and in the first American Birkenstock store in SoHo, New York.