As the last Yeezy style made in collaboration with Nike before transitioning to a partnership with adidas, the Air Yeezy 2 ‘Red October’ represents a pivotal moment in Kanye West’s design career and the evolution of the Yeezy brand. This extremely rare pair is an iconic piece of both sneaker and music history.

The style was debuted by Kanye during his Saturday Night Live performance on May 18th, 2013, and the Red October became one of the most coveted sneakers of the year, long before it was released. Kanye was recorded wearing the Red Octobers frequently throughout his Yeezus tour, as fans waited for news about when and how the style would be released.

That same year, with the colorway still unavailable to the public, Kanye West finalized his new contract with adidas, leaving fans uncertain about whether the Red October’s would be released by Nike at all. The Red October colorway was eventually made available in an extremely limited online-only run, and then permanently retired, making this style one of Yeezy’s rarest.

Kanye West is among the most influential rappers, designers, and artists alive today. He has sold more than 20 million albums, over 140 million singles and has won over 20 Grammy Awards. He was named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people in both 2005 and 2015, and his art has touched the lives of millions, both through music and fashion.