Rapper
Eminem has teamed up with Nike to create a limited edition run of the company’s
Air Max series shoe.The
effort will go towards raising money for the lyricist’s Marshall Mathers Foundation
and ninemillion.org.Eminem
will design limited-edition uppers of eight different shoes in the series, from
the Air Max ’87 to Air Max 360. Sixty-four pairs of shoes will be produced before
being numbered and autographed by the rapper and auctioned off over a four-week
period at Nike stores and on eBay, beginning Aug. 31."If
you told me ten years ago that I’d be designing this whole series of Air Max’s,
I never would have believed it," Eminem said. "It’s one of the hottest
lines that Nike ever produced, so I’m honored to make my own contribution. My
only problem was figuring out how to make the shoes different from stuff they’ve
already done: Nike always has the dopest color combos."Led
by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), with founding partners Nike and Microsoft, Ninemillion.org
is a global campaign designed to raise awareness and funds to bring education
and sport programs to the world’s refugee youth.The
Marshall Mathers Foundation is a non-profit corporation set up to provide funds
for organizations working with troubled youth in southeast Michigan."We’re
always looking for new ways to try to raise money and awareness for the foundation,
so when Nike approached us we jumped at the chance," stated Eminem, who was
further drawn into the project after looking at the information on ninemillion.org.
"It made even more sense. Who wouldn’t want to design their own line of Nikes?
And to do it for charity makes it that much better."The
Aug. 31 auction will take place in conjunction with an event at NikeTown London.
One pair of the Max 1 and the Max 90 will be offered at the event and later posted
for auction on eBay. All eBay auctions will be 00:00 hours on the scheduled days
and run for seven days. It concludes at 23:59 hours the following Monday.Proceeds
will be split equally between the foundation and ninemillion.org.The
following is a schedule and listing of items that will be auctioned:Aug.
31 NikeTown
London Air
Max ’87 1 pair
Air Max ’90 1 pairSept.12
eBay
Air
Max ’87 7 pairs
Air Max ’90 7 pairsSept.
16 NikeTown
Berlin
Air
Max 180 1 pair
Air Max ’93 1 pairSept.
19 eBay
Air
Max 180 7 pairs
Air Max ’93 7 pairsSept.
22 Nike
Store, Paris Air
Max ’95 1 pair
Air Max ’97 1 pairSept.
26 eBay
Air Max ’95 7 pairs
Air Max ’97 7 pairsSept.
28 NikeTown
London Air
Max ’03 1 pair
Air Max ’06 1 pairOct.
3 eBay
Air
Max ’03 7 pairs
Air Max ’06 7 pairs
