Sotheby's 'The Entourage Collection' Auction Celebrates All Things 'Entourage' x Nike
Sotheby's have become a power player in the world of ultra-rare sneakers: in 2021 alone, the nearly 300-year-old auction house sold a worn by at the 2008 Grammys for $1.8 million, and also auctioned off earliest known pair of game-worn sneakers (an ) for a staggering $1.47 million. Now, Sotheby's attention has turned to the silver screen as it's hosting 'The Entourage Collection' auction consisting entirely of shoes spotlighted in HBO's Entourage, a cult-classic show that ran from 2004 to 2011. The collection's centrepiece? A pair of the x ‘Fukijama Gold.’
The 'Fukijama Gold' is the stuff of Entourage legend and sneaker lore. It appears in 'What About Bob?', the 11th episode of the show's third season, in which main character Vincent Chase's childhood friend turned driver and weed carrier Turtle isn't able to secure a rare pair of Air Force 1s created by a fictional artist named Fukijama. After a despondent Turtle spends time camping out at UNDEFEATED's Santa Monica location and sees (RIP) secure the very last pair of the shoes, he leaves dejected, only to have Vince surprise him by sending him to pick up a 1-of-1 pair from Fukijama himself.
Though 'What About Bob' aired in 2006, the shoe – which was nicknamed the 'Fukijama Gold' – wouldn't release until 2009. When it did drop as a hyperstrike, it was hand-lasered by none other than , who's served as the creative director of and the senior creative director of innovation at , among other titles. The last time a pair was made available for auction, in March 2021, it , a world record for any Air Force 1. This time around, Sotheby's is predicting its value at $60,000-$90,000.
Besides the 'Fukijama Gold,' the auction also includes an UNDEFEATED x Nike Air Force 1 'Premium Georges', one of two styles to commemorate Entourage. The 'Premium Georges' isn't quite as rare as the 'Fukijama Gold,' but it's no easy find either: it never saw a general release, and rumour has it that roughly 100 pairs were created for the show's cast/crew while a few pairs were secretly sold at UNDEFEATED's retail locations. The best thing about the 'Premium Georges'? It's the shoe that Turtle was originally trying to get in the show! Estimated price? $12,000-$14,000.
The second style made to commemorate Entourage was a friends-and-family that's included in the auction as well. Though not as loud as its compatriots, it does feature special Entourage hits below its tongue logo and on its insole. An SB Dunk Low 'Nontourage' released sans special branding in 2011, but this is the original, inner circle only pair. It's accompanied by a signed box that features the autographs of Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara and Kevin Dillon. It's expected to fetch between $10,000-$12,000.
Sotheby's 'The Entourage Collection' will be on display at Sotheby's new Los Angeles gallery from November 1-6, and bidding will be open from November 1-10.