When Elvis Presley’s debut album took the charts by storm in 1956, “Blue Suede Shoes” was its opening track.
Now, the King’s very own blue suede shoes have sold for the princely sum of £120,000 (around $152,000) after they went up for grabs at British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son on Friday.
Bidding for the shoes, which were described as “an iconic lot of showbusiness memorabilia that simply transcends 20th century popular culture,” began at £55,000 (around $69,600).
The shoes, which are size 10 and a half and stamped with the “Nann-Bush” brand, were worn by Presley both on and off stage during the 1950s, according to a description on the auction site.
Presley wore the shoes while singing “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and “Hound Dog” on “The Steve Allen Show” in 1956, according to the auctioneer, and gave 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 was accompanied by a letter of authenticity hand-signed by Velvet, as well as a letter by Fortas, which describes the events of the evening he was given the shoes.
