Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, is an icon for his distinct voice but was also a fashion legend. His flamboyant outfit choices included blazers with Cuban collars, bejeweled jumpsuits, capes, leather jackets, and the list goes on.
Since Presley’s passing in 1977, many of his costumes, jewelry, and other memorabilia have been sold at auctions fetching thousands of dollars. Some have even been sold for more than a million, such as his 1942 Martin D-18 guitar, which was sold for $1.3 million, and the iconic white jumpsuit he wore at his live concert in Madison Square Garden, which fetched a little over $1 million. Recently, another Presley memorabilia went up for auction — his blue suede shoes.
Elvis Presley wore his blue suede shoes often
The song “Blue Suede Shoes” was written and recorded by singer-songwriter Carl Perkins in 1955. The following year, Presley recorded a cover version, and it was the first track in his debut album Elvis Presley.
Presley’s close friend, Jimmy Velvet, said that the singer often wore the pair of blue suede shoes throughout the ‘50s, both on and off stage. Presley then gave the shoes to his friend, Alan Fortas, just before the King left to serve in the U.S. Army in 1958. As Fortas recalled, Presley had a party at Graceland, his estate in Memphis, just before his induction. Some of the people present were given clothing and other items that Presley said he no longer wanted or needed, and Fortas received the blue suede shoes. The shoes had been in Fortas’ possession throughout the years until he died in 1992. They were then displayed at different museums before being sold at auction.
How much did the blue suede shoes fetch?
Velvet, who’s the authority on all things Elvis Presley and founded the Elvis Presley Museum, authenticated the blue suede shoes. “The heel of each shoe is stamped ‘Nunn-Bush’ and inside of each shoe is stamped 10-½ stating the shoe size,” Velvet stated. According to him, Presley wore the shoes during an appearance on the Steve Allen Show and also mentioned the blue suede shoes in a skit he did with comedian Andy Griffith.
“There is a lot of history wrapped up in these well worn blue suede shoes which are synonymous with the name Elvis Presley.”
The auction was held by premier auction house Henry Aldridge & Son, and the winning bid came from a California-based collector who paid more than $150,000 for the iconic pair of shoes. “The price for me reflects the importance of such an iconic object. When you think of Elvis, you probably think of upturned collars, Las Vegas, and blue suede shoes,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said of the sale. The shoes came with a letter of authenticity signed by Velvet, as well as a letter from Fortas, which documents how the shoes came into his possession.
