Sabastian Sawe Adidas shoes spike online, with resellers asking up to US$4,000 a pair
Trainers that retail for US$500 are going for astronomical sums, but some question whether they are actually worth it
The Adidas shoes Sabastian Sawe wore in his record-setting London Marathon win might not make the average runner much better, but that has not stopped people paying a fortune to snap them up.
Sawe broke through the two-hour barrier on Sunday, winning in a time of one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha finished second in 1:59:41, while compatriot Tigst Assefa smashed her own women-only world record in 2:15:41. Both also wore the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, which weigh in at just 97 grams.
On limited release since Monday, the trainers retail at around HK$3,900 (US$500) but have been offered locally on resale platform StockX from as much as HK$32,360 for some sizes, while others range from HK$9,680 to HK$20,090.
“If you count it by the gram, these shoes are as expensive as gold,” one social media user wrote.
The trio’s performances immediately drove demand for the shoe, which had already attracted attention after debuting at the Tokyo Marathon Expo earlier this year because of its design.
Lighter than a piece of fruit, the shoe does not have the carbon-plated midsoles of many of its rivals, instead using carbon technology that wraps around the midsole, helping to maintain running economy and reduce overall weight.