As Elvis Presley’s luxury jets and a suede vest worn by Janis Joplin go under the hammer in California, a different kind of rock relic was auctioned off this weekend. A pair of old shoes, owned previously by indie oddball Mac DeMarco, have been sold via eBay for a surprisingly generous sum.
Bidding ended on 4 January for the pair of autographed Vans that DeMarco wore throughout his extensive 2014 tour. The sum of $21,100 (£13,798) – paid by an as-yet-unnamed bidder – will go to benefit Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, a non-profit music and mentoring programme that empowers women through music education.
Of course, DeMarco wasn’t always certain his sartorial sale would be such a success. “Will anyone buy an old stinky pair of shoes? I don’t know,” the singer originally wrote on the shoe’s eBay listing. “If you’re one of those kids who tried to take them off my feet while I was crowd-surfing at some point this year, nice try jackass. But hey, here’s another opportunity for you to have them.”
Over the course of the bidding, DeMarco posted a video of his girlfriend sniffing the trainer as part of a smell test, and also answered a series of fan questions in the question and answer section on the eBay listing – all of which you can read here.
Mac DeMarco’s second album, Salad Days, was released in March 2014.
