Prince Personally Owned & Worn Blue Andre #1 Custom Made High Heeled Boots with GREAT Provenance!

Описание: Here is an impossibly rare pair of blue Andre #1 custom-made high-heeled shoes, personally owned and worn by Prince. Hand crafted in blue fabric with an off-white faux leather interior and wooden heel, each has a stainless-steel brace attached to the sole and heel, painted to match the underside. As described below, Prince was hard on his shoes, and these braces prevented the heels from breaking off during performances.



Inside each is a label from celebrity shoemaker Andre #1, reading ‘Made in L.A., U.S.A.’ Andre #1 has made shoes for artists from Frank Sinatra to Madonna, Kiss, and Taylor Swift. Prince’s high-heeled shoes were designed to his exacting specifications, custom made, and an important part of his look. They were the subject of a 2021 exhibition, The Beautiful Collection: Prince’s Custom Shoes, at his former studio and home, Paisley Park.



Former Warner Bros. executive, Jeff Gold, acquired the boots from an entertainment industry figure who obtained them from a Paisley Park executive, circa 2007. Recordmecca’s Jeff Gold is a former Executive Vice President/General Manager of Warner Bros. Records, who worked closely with Prince during the 1990s, art directing five album covers for him, including Diamonds & Pearls, Love Symbol, and The Hits and The B-Sides.



The Beautiful Collection: Prince’s Custom Shoes

In 2021 Mitch Maguire, then managing director of Paisley Park and curator of The Beautiful Collection: Prince’s Custom Shoes, told Fox 9 Minneapolis, “It’s fair to say that you could suggest that Prince’s influence on fashion was just as important as all that incredible music he turned out.” Maguire noted “Typically, the way it would work, he had specific designers, shoemakers that he used over the years, but they worked in conjunction with the Paisley Park design team. So, Prince would sort of give the in-house design team a sense of what he was looking for, maybe a certain style that he wanted to have, and then they would communicate those ideas to the shoemakers, they’d get to work. and within a two-week time period, they’d be on Prince’s feet.” Regarding the steel braces on the heels, he said “One thing we know about Prince is just what an incredible performer he was; thinking back to some of the things he was doing in these shoes, splits, jumping off pianos, spinning, dancing on stage. He knew he needed some shoes that would stand up to all that, quite literally. So those braces really provided some extra support and, I think, some added confidence.”



Andre #1: The Iconic Boot That Embodied Prince’s Legendary Flair

A CBS Los Angeles report about Prince’s shoes noted that since the beginning of the 80s, they were designed and handmade by Hollywood celebrity shoemakers Andre #1. Andre #1 owner Gary Kazanchyan told them nearly all of Prince’s extensive collection of shoes were identical — with the exception of color. Each pair had to match the fabric and shade of the color of the clothes he was wearing. “The only thing he would change about his shoes was either it would be a wood heel, or the same material would cover the heel, or he would have a Lucite heel that flashes lights. He wanted the shoes to be as light as possible and also as durable as possible because you never know when he’s going to start doing splits,” said Kazanchyan. That’s why the brace was made of stainless steel — it’s light and strong. And Kazanchyan said when he went to see Prince perform, and to see his handcrafted shoes in action — one thought wouldn’t leave his mind. “Every time he was jumping up to do the splits I was holding my breath — I was hoping the heel didn’t break off,” he said. Kazanchyan says Prince was one of his most treasured clients and he was honored that he loved his shoes so much. He literally wore them morning, noon, and night — on stage and off. Another challenge — each pair could not be made of any animal products. Prince was a vegan. A single pair of Andre #1 shoes originally cost $2,400. In 2017, a pair of Prince’s shoes sold at auction for more than $75,000.



In addition to giving the diminutive performer extra height while on stage, these highly stylish boots are in keeping with Prince’s trademark flair and innovative style—a brilliant, museum-quality pair of personally owned and worn shoes from the legendary entertainer.



In very good, worn condition. Includes original Andre #1 Custom Made Shoes & Boots labeled felt shoe bag.



Comes with a signed letter of authenticity from former Warner Bros. executive Jeff Gold (Recordmecca).

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