Joe Fury / N9NE Group
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009 | 5:04 p.m.
Beyond the Sun
MTV NEWS: DJ AM's Sneaker Collection
Sun Coverage
- Investigators continue to probe DJ AM’s death (9-1-2009)
- Rain nightclub at the Palms goes silent to honor DJ AM (8-29-2009)
- Rain's DJ AM found dead in Manhattan apartment (8-28-2009)
Adam Goldstein was known for many things. Among them: For DJ-ing sets of hip-hop mash-ups at Rain on Friday nights; for surviving a fatal plane crash last year alongside his friend and Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker; for dating Hollywood starlets, and for compiling an impressive collection of sneakers.
His death in August rendered his music his legacy, and both the plane crash and his social life relatively irrelevant. Beyond the obvious questions of “Why?” the other question left unanswered in the eyes of fans was what would happen to his massive shoe collection.
Today they got their answer: More than 800 pairs of the former Palms resident DJ’s sneakers will be auctioned for charity.
Proceeds from the sale, which will be conducted on eBay, will benefit Goldstein’s namesake non-profit, the DJ AM Memorial Fund.
“The DJ AM Memorial Fund maintains the legacy of Adam Goldstein through extending his commitment to helping others struggling with addiction,” the release detailing the sale explained. “Contributions will help organizations and projects committed to addressing issues of addiction and recovery. The fund is powered through the non-profit group Creative Visions.”
The online auction will begin at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, and continue though Monday Dec. 14. Bidding will take place via www.ebay.com/djamshoes.
Goldstein had amassed hundreds of Nike, Adidas, Converse, Reebok and BAPE sneakers since starting to collect flamboyant footwear more than 10 years ago.
Up for sale are both worn and unworn items from Goldstein’s collection, including one of 200 pairs of Nike PlayStation Air Force 1s and one of 50 pairs of Eminem Air Jordan 4s, along with Supreme Dunks; Supa Dunks; Hyperstrikes; Air Jordan PEs; and other rare, retro and limited-edition shoes.
In addition to the online auction, LA-based sneaker shop Undefeated (aka UNDFTD) will showcase 18 pairs of Goldstein’s sneakers at their La Brea, Santa Monica and Silverlake stores.
The shoes put on display will not be included in the online auction, Goldstein’s spokesperson said.
The DJ previously said he had been hooked on sneakers since he first laid eyes on a pair of Air Jordan 1s as a child.
He recalled how it was love at first sight for the then-second-grader when he spotted the sneakers while shoe shopping with his grandmother in his hometown, Philadelphia.
“It looked like a toy from 'Star Wars,' and I was begging her,” Goldstein recalled prior to his death.
The DJ likened the basketball player’s signature shoe to a space ship like the Millennium Falcon.
“I just had to have it and I begged my grandmother to buy it and when my she saw how much they were she was like, you’re trippin’,” he told MTV.
“They were $70 and that was unheard of and she was like, 'Oh no’,” he said.
Goldstein’s footwear fetish was the focus of a 2006 MTV News segment where he showed off his collection, which at the time included just over 600 pairs.
The collection was spread throughout his home – in the garage, in the laundry room, and in the spare bedroom.
“The guest room got turned into another shoe storage place because that’s what happens when you have so many shoes,” he told the MTV cameras.
Goldstein’s shoe obsession made it to the small screen during an episode of “Entourage,” as well: He beat out one of the characters for a pair of Fukijama’s Laser Air Force 1s during the installment of the popular series.
The auction will help solidify Goldstein’s shoes as part of the DJ’s legacy.
The master mix master was found dead, face-down in his bed in his New York City apartment on Aug. 28. An autopsy later blamed the untimely death on an accidental drug overdose.
Goldstein was a recovering cocaine addict who claimed to be 10 years sober prior to his death. Critics have suggested his relapse was the indirect result of the DJ’s involvement with a MTV reality show, “Gone Too Far,” in which camera crews followed him as he walked the front lines of drug addiction and attempted to help teens confront their own addictions and get clean.
Melissa Arseniuk writes about Las Vegas entertainment and celebrity events. She can be reached at 702-948-7823 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Palms Casino Resort has come a long way since its "Real World" debut in 2002. The boutique property features three distinct towers and a diverse mix of bars and restaurants across a 95,000-square-foot casino.
Palms, which features more than 1,200 rooms and fantasy suites, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation that will encompass an Ivory Tower room and suite redesign, new culinary additions, re-imagined gaming spaces and new, distinctive nightlife experiences.
In addition to newly designed rooms, during the first phase of the renovation, Palms will welcome Heraea, a high-energy American restaurant and lounge, and XISHI, a pan-Asian restaurant and lounge.
Fantasy Suites include the Hardwood Suite, the only hotel room in the world with its own basketball court.
Other amenities include the all-new Cantor Gaming® race and sports book, one of the few sports books in Las Vegas to include a poker room; SOCIAL; Scarlet; Chocolat Bistro; tonic bar; ghostbar; Pearl Concert Theater; Moon Nightclub; N9NE Steakhouse; Nove Italiano; Simon Restaurant & Lounge; Palms Pool & Bungalows; Kim Vō Salon; Drift Spa & Hammam; Brenden Theatres, a 14-theatre cineplex and more than 60,000 square-feet of meeting space.