eBay is announcing a special collaboration with acclaimed artist, Olaolu Slawn, to celebrate the creativity and inspiration drawn from sneakers and its community.
Birthed from his own passion for sneakers, Slawn has created two new masterpieces inspired by two of his most loved pairs: the Corteiz x Nike Air Max 95 ‘Gutta Green’ and Nike Air Jordan 4 ‘Black Cat’.
The two paintings in 100cm x 100cm are available for auction on eBay at 12:00pm from today, Thursday 2nd November, with all funds raised going to Path to Possibilities – a charity that shares teaching skills, art materials and best practice with primary schools in Nigeria supporting disadvantaged children. Giving back to the community, while allowing sneakerheads to own a unique piece of culture.
The marketplace has seen Slawn’s go-to pairs be just as popular amongst fellow sneakerheads, as searches for ‘nike corteiz’ witnessed a surge of over 1020% the month after the pair first launched in February 2023. Similarly, searches for the ‘nike air jordan black cat’ have increased by over 15% in the past 3 months compared to the quarter at the start of the year*.
Aiding those inspired by his style, eBay, together with Slawn, has curated a special on-site selection of the artist’s favourites pairs including Nike Air Max 95, Nike X Nocta Glides, Asics Gel 1130, as well as those which inspired his artwork.
Unveiling the collaboration, Slawn premiered his artwork at his London-based cafe, Beau Beau’s. During the session, where he was joined by eBay’s Head of Sneakers, Wahaaj Shabbir, eBay’s resident sneakerhead, FDFromtheFuture and Precious Ongunlowo, a recent graduate from eBay’s sneaker entrepreneur programme, they discussed the importance of community, the impact sneakers has had on their success and uplifting representation in culture.
Earlier this year, eBay partnered with Hatch Enterprise to create the Sneaker Academy, helping young sneakerheads learn vital skills to turn their passion into an income-generating business. Following the recent graduation of the Sneaker Academy students, the collaboration celebrates their success, while continuing to empower the entire sneaker community.
For me this partnership is all about bringing sneakers, community and art together, so I wanted to channel the energy from my favourite pairs into my pieces. Sneakers have always been a staple to my style so it’s great to be partnering with eBay to show how they are actually so much more than just a shoe, they can be muses, they can tell stories and they can shape culture.
– Olaolu Slawn
I was beyond excited to link up with Slawn for this partnership, not only as I am a massive fan of his artwork but as he is also such an influential figure in the UK sneaker community. I love how this partnership has allowed us to celebrate some of the biggest drops of the year, but also shine a spotlight on the creativity in this community and the bond sneakers have with art and culture. I’m glad eBay can help bring all his favourite sneakers into one place, making it easier than ever for those inspired by him to shop Authenticated pairs.
– Wahaaj Shabbir, Head of Sneakers, eBay UK
Sneaker fans looking to expand their art collection can place a bid on Slawn’s sneaker inspired artwork, while those looking to get their hands on Slawn’s personal favourites can shop the limited-edition edit.
