John Mott, the Inventor of Light-Up Shoes, Is Auctioning His Creations
There are plenty of designers and innovators in the sneaker scene that have created light-up products, but none of them have been able to illuminate a room quite like John Mott! If you can remember back to – past the many game-worn Jordans – you would have come across Mott’s story. Boasting a legendary career as an inventor, he was the man who came up with the bright idea of light-up shoes – no joke!
Now, after decades in the business, Mott is selling a swathe of his inventions, prototypes and samples. Kicking off this September, ‘The John Mott Sporting Prototype Collection’ auction will go down at Andrew Smith & Son auction house, with 130 lots in total. All lots will start at £0 and have no reserve bid, with profits going towards Cancer Research UK.
There are lots of one-of-a-kind innovations amongst the lots Mott will be selling. The standout, of course, is Lot 1 – the sneaker that started it all. This was made using piezo film, a thin piece of plastic that lights up a bulb when flicked. It cost Mott £13,500 pounds to develop this prototype... and it still works, even after three decades in storage! There are also multiple prototypes featuring light-up tech in the heel, but these haven’t held up with time quite as well. You can also expect to witness light-up Reebok shoes, ' ‘Easy Lock & Let Go’ prototypes, the pre-production ASICS GEL-NITE LYTE sample, and even a signed copy of .
Alongside all of this confirmed excellence, Mott has left Lot 15 A and Lot 15 B up to the imagination! These two lots remain secret, and the buyers will be flown to the UK for their unveiling. Mott has also stated that these two inventions are revolutionary, and are of interest to all the big sneaker brands.
‘The John Mott Sporting Prototype Collection’ auction will go down between September 5 and September 14 through Andrew Smith & Son’s website. This is one of the most unique sneakersphere auctions of all time, so don’t miss out! Head for all the deets.