Have you forgotten already? On January 12th, Haiti endured a massive earthquake, which reportedly claimed over 100,000 lives, left approximately one million people homeless, and caused incalculable damage to the nation's inhabitants and its infrastructure. While the press coverage may have subsided, Haitians still need our support.
To help, we at NikeTalk have teamed up with six immensely talented artists, the sneaker customization gurus behind Evolved Footwear, JGoods Custom Sneakers, 1of Customs, JBF Custom Shoes, and Revive Customs, to present NikeTalk's first ever custom sneaker charity auction.
Each artist has generously donated a pair of amazing custom sneakers, designed specifically for this event. You'll be bidding on the only pairs in existence.
Normally, you'd hear something like "proceeds will benefit..." or "a portion of the proceeds will benefit" charity in events like this. However, due to the generosity of these artists, the FULL 100% of your bids will go to Doctors Without Borders, in support of their ongoing efforts to rebuild Haiti's medical infrastructure, provide on the ground care and support, and further their courageous efforts around the world.
In addition, NikeTalk will go one step further by MATCHING your bids up to $1,000 per pair to help maximize our overall community contribution to this important cause.
Below, you'll see all five items along with a brief description composed by the artist. The last day to submit bids will be THIS Sunday, May 23rd. After 12:00 AM EST on May 24th, we'll no longer accept bids and auction winners will be contacted.
How do I bid?
We'll follow a silent auction format. Just post here or send us an email with your bid:
Please be sure 1) your bid is greater than the current leader's and 2) you specify the item(s) you're bidding on. Please keep in mind that these shoes are one of a kind and are ONLY available in the size listed.
Do I need to be a NikeTalk member?
No! You can bid by email. We'll update this page periodically to reflect the current high bids, which will include those submitted via email. If you win, we'll contact you by email to finalize your purchase and arrange for the shipping of your new, one of a kind custom sneakers.
Item #1
JGoods Custom Sneakers www.jgoodsonline.com
Shoe: Nike Air Force 1 Mid Supreme Air Max CB
Size: 12
Description from JGoods:
A country long tormented by poverty, environmental degradation, violence, instability and dictatorship was devastated in January when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck at its heart. Haiti will need to be completely rebuilt from the ground up.
Through all their trial and turmoil, Haiti has maintained a rich culture and fervor for the arts. Haiti is world famous for its distinctive art, bold designs and brilliant colors. Taxi cabs, also known as tap taps, are elaborately decorated by their owners with bright colors and other artistic elements, which stands in contrast with some of the desolate city blocks.
These particular shoes were inspired by the superbly painted tap taps; A more colorful way to travel. The shoes feature a balanced mosaic of geometric shapes and line using the colors of the Haitian flag. The base shoe is a classic in its own right: The Nike Air Force 1 Mid Supreme Max Air CB.
The rear quarter shares the French phrase "L'Union Fait La Force", the same phrase on the country’s flag, which loosely translates to: strength through unity. It will take the efforts of many, united by cause, to begin to restore all that has been lost. JGoods one.
Current High Bid: $350
Item #2
1of Customs www.1ofcustoms.com
Shoe: Nike Air Force 1 low
size: 10
Description from 1ofCustoms:
These shoes are a tribute to the most important people on NikeTalk. People that give information months before a shoe comes out? Nope. People that help others get shoes for little to no profit? Uh-uh. The OG members? HELL NO. I'm talking about the prepubescent kids that blow their load over a little side boob. This one's for the beasts.
And just like any self-respecting beast, this Nike Air Force 1 low comes with blue fur and the 2 most important questions on NikeTalk: "Pics?" and "Info?" written all over them. A yellow swoosh and toe bring the whole thing together.
Current High Bid: $200
Item #3
JBF Custom Shoes www.facebook.com/pages/JBF-Customs/67358172488
Shoe: Nike Blazer
size: 10.5
Description from JBF Customs:
Nike Blazer SBs, re-constructed of black oil shale leather with carbon fiber swoosh cutouts. The shoes also include red cross detailing on the heel tab as well as JBF branding on the tongue.
Current High Bid: $160
Item #4
Evolved Footwear www.evolved-footwear.com
Shoe: Nike Dunk high
Size: 9.5
Description from Evolved Footwear:
Iconic Nike: orange and elephant print with a side of NikeTalk on one of the most discussed shoes in NT's 10 years: the Dunk. They feature a black on orange engraved elephant print with two NikeTalk logos on the back heels from the 10th anniversary t-shirt line.
Current High Bid: $185
Item #5
Revive Customs www.revivecustoms.com
Shoe: Nike Air Trainer I
size: 9
Description from Revive Customs:
This is the second installment of the "What the One" series from Revive Customs. This time, the Nike Air Trainer I was chosen as a base to honor Nike's involvement in the development of Cross Training. Each panel represents a certain Nike Training shoe design from the past.
Current High Bid: $180
I hope you'll all join me in thanking the five artists responsible for this event. Through their exceptional creativity, generosity, and compassion they've demonstrated the very best in our community. We're thrilled and honored to be a part of this and it is my sincere hope that, together, we can raise a great deal of money to help Doctors Without Borders continue their work in Haiti and elsewhere.
I'd like to extend a special thanks to jayhawk17 of Evolved Footwear for bringing such exceptional talent together and organizing this fantastic fund-raiser.
Best of luck, everyone!
Update 5/24
Thanks so much to everyone who participated! Although bidding has now ended, we'll need to verify all of the leading bids before we can announce a final total and begin sending these amazing works of art to their new owners.
If you bid, please stay tuned to your inboxes today as we attempt to finalize each of our auction items. To consider your bid valid, we'll need a timely response. Otherwise, we may need to move down the list to ensure that we're able to offer a timely donation to our chosen charity, Doctors Without Borders.
