Elvis Presley Legendary Blue Suede Shoes Sold For IDR 2.4 Billion

UNSPLASH/Karen ILLUSTRATION Cann

JAKARTA - The legendary blue shoes Elvis Presley, known to be immortalized in songs, sold for more than 150,000 US dollars or equivalent to Rp. 2.4 billion in auctions.

The shoes worn by the rock 'n' roll icon in the 1950s were purchased by an California-based American collector on Friday, June 28, according to auction house Henry Aldridge & Son, who hosted the sale.

Andrew Aldridge's auctioneer to "Good Morning America", stressed the importance of the sale. "The price for me reflects the importance of this iconic object," he said.

"The sale of these shoes reflects Elvis's iconic nature and eternal appeal," added Aldrige as quoted by CBS News, Monday, July 1.

According to the auction list, Presley wore these iconic blue suede shoes both on and off stage throughout the 1950s.

These shoes gained special fame during Presley's performance at the Steve Allen Show on July 1, 1956, when he mentioned it before bringing "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You."

Elvis Presley awarded the shoes to his close friend and group member, Alan Fortas, the night before the singer left for military service in 1958.

The authenticity of these shoes was further validated with the Elvis Presley Museum certificate included in the shoes, which was signed by Jimmy Velvet, Presley's close friend for more than two decades and founder, original president, and Museum CEO Elvis Presley.

A letter from Alan Fortas, another close friend and livestock foreman at Circle G Elvis Livestock, accompanies the shoes.

In the letter, Fortas reminisced about his time with the singer, including appearing in the film as an additional actor and the famous 1968 special NBC "comeback" event.

"This blue suede shoe is 10.5 in size," Fortas wrote, "I've had it for years, given to me by Elvis himself the night before the inauguration of his army."