Kanye West-Worn Nike Yeezy's Sell for Record-Breaking $1.8 Million at Sotheby's

These unreleased Nike Air Yeezy 1s are now the most expensive shoes to ever be sold. Worn by Kanye himself during his performance of "Stronger" and "Hey Mama" at the 50th annual Grammys in 2008, the kicks auctioned for $1.8 million at Sotheby's.

The buyer is a start-up called Rares that will offer shares in the shoes that people can invest in. Its site allows fans to reserve their spots for the initial public offering on June 16th. There are other rising platforms like Rally Rd. that take a similar investment approach with coveted cultural items.

"Kanye is an iconic figure, no matter what people think about him personally," Gerome Sapp, CEO and co-founder of Rares, told Bloomberg. "We just felt like this shoe was the catalyst for what we wanted to do in terms of fractional ownership."

He continued, "This sneaker really set the tone. It was the first time an artist, instead of an athlete, got a shoe like this."

Sotheby's helped set the previous record for the priciest shoes ever sold with an autographed pair of the Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" worn by Michael Jordan during his rookie season in 1984-85. Those fetched $560,000, upending the previous mark by over $100,000.

One of Kanye's disciples, Travis Scott, is continuing to make waves in the sneaker world as well. He just dropped the long-awaited "British Khaki" Jordan 6 with a complementary collection of "Crossover" Cactus Jack merch inspired by motocross style.

The scorching commercial for the sneakers – currently reselling for around $700 on sites like StockX – stars former NBA player Rip Hamilton and his signature face mask.