Several seasons ago, the “American Pickers” bought a giant shoe for $1,000. But it’s not like any fancy designer shoe you’ve seen before. The price implicates an iconic brand and unique style. However, it’s not so much the appearance of the shoe that hooked the pickers as it is the size.
Unfortunately, the giant shoe was not meant for wearing, nor is there another to go with it. That is, that the “American Pickers” haven’t located yet.
After purchasing the shoe for a jaw-dropping $1,000, show star Mike Wolfe explained what it had previously been used for.
Just as modern technology allows shop fronts to blow up their latest fashions into window decals and posters, the giant shoe previously served a similar purpose. According to Looper, Wolfe had stated the giant shoe was meant for promotional use, intended as a display for shops to inform buyers of the various brands and styles that particular store sold.
Based on the image, the giant shoe advertised an older style of Keds. The circular emblem is apparent, emblazoned on the side of the leather shoe.
Mike Wolfe Forges Interesting Relationships Through ‘American Pickers’
While the “American Pickers” giant shoe is noteworthy, we’ve mentioned before that Mike Wolfe pursues a passion of depth. Some pickers and collectors choose things simply based on their value and aesthetic. However, Wolfe’s passion runs deeper than that. The significance of his finds frequently reflect the stories behind those items or the people from which he acquired them.
During a 2015 interview, Wolfe shared the story of an outcasted collector from whom he scored an old, handmade plow. Describing the man as “primitive,” he revealed the story both behind the find and the man who made it.
“[H]e had made [the plow] years ago,” the “American Pickers” star began. After locating the find, Wolfe said, “I would stop by because he had such a primitive lifestyle.” Some of those primitive practices and characteristics included the way he would make his own rope, had no electricity, and wore only old clothes and drove an even older vehicle.
While Wolfe further explained that a lot of people in the town just didn’t understand him, he, on the other hand, thought he was a “genius.”
“He was just a cool guy,” Wolfe summed up. “So I have his piece.” And he remembered, when first buying the plow, the old man was curious to know why the picker wanted it. In true Mike Wolfe fashion, he answered, “because it’s yours.” And, as we’ve learned from the tidbits of information Wolfe shared about the old man, he couldn’t quite grasp that idea.
However, objects lend permanence to memories, and part of what makes “American Pickers” so popular has to result from the way the show and Wolfe’s collection of certain items reinvigorates the life of those objects.
