ǿմý

Skip to main content

Elvis Presley's actual blue suede shoes are up for auction

Elvis Presley gave away his blue suede shoes before going into the army. (Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd via CNN Newsource) Elvis Presley gave away his blue suede shoes before going into the army. (Henry Aldridge and Son Ltd via CNN Newsource)
Share
London -

When Elvis Presley’s debut album took the charts by storm in 1956, “Blue Suede Shoes” was its opening track.

Now, fans have the opportunity to step into the King’s very own blue suede shoes as they go up for grabs at British auction house Henry Aldridge and Son – for an estimated £100,000 to £120,000 (around US$126,000 to US$152,000).

The shoes, which are size 10 and a half and stamped with the “Nunn-Bush” brand, were worn by Presley both on and off stage during the 1950s, according to a description on the .

Presley wore the shoes while singing “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” and “Hound Dog” on “The Steve Allen Show” in 1956, according to the auctioneer, and gave them to his friend Alan Fortas in 1958, the night before leaving for the U.S. Army.

Presley wore the shoes while singing 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You' on 'The Steve Allen Show' in July 1956. (NBCU Photo Bank / Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

The shoes have been authenticated by Jimmy Velvet, a close friend of Presley and the founder of the .

The lot is accompanied by a letter of authenticity hand-signed by Velvet, as well as a letter by Fortas, which describes the events of the evening he was given the shoes.

“The night before Elvis’ army induction here in Memphis, Elvis had an all night party at Graceland,” the letter says, according to the auction site.

“Afterwards we went to the Rainbow roller rink. When we all got home Elvis called some of us upstairs and was giving away some of his clothes he didn’t think he would be wearing or wanted when he came back from the army. That night Elvis gave me these blue suede shoes size 10 1/2. I’ve owned these all these years,” the letter continues.

The auction will go live on Friday. Bidding for the shoes, which are described as “an iconic lot of showbusiness memorabilia that simply transcends 20th century popular culture,” starts at £55,000 (around US$69,600).

CTVNews.ca ǿմý

Toronto police are looking for a stolen vehicle in connection with at least eight separate shootings in the city over the weekend.

Local Spotlight

When Zhya Aramiy was living in Turkey and Iraq, he had to keep his Pride flags hidden away.

A rave at the Ontario Science Centre was the place where Greg LeBlanc says his relationship first began with his husband Mark in 1997.

The city is entering the final stages of resuming water service through its repaired feeder main, as water consumption continues to fall below the city’s threshold level.

A grandfather and grandson duo proudly graduated alongside each other at the same northern Manitoba school.

A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.

The world's largest hockey stick could soon become the world's most in-pieces hockey stick as a Vancouver Island community prepares to tear down and carve up the Canadian landmark.

For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.