Roger Bannister’s sub-4 shoes to be auctioned off

Want to own a piece of sports history? The racing spikes which ran the first ever sub-four-minute mile will be auctioned off this September.

The spikes, which Sir Roger Bannister wore during the first ever sub-four race, weigh only 4.5 ounces but are expected to grab between £30,000 and £50,000 (about $57,000 to $95,000), according to Christie’s, the famous auction house who will host the auction on Sept. 10. The shoes were made by Charles Law of G.T. Law and Son.

“I could see there was an advantage in having the shoe as light as possible,” explains Bannister. “The leather is extremely thin and the spikes are unusually thin, as I used a grindstone to make them even thinner. These shoes are the last tangible link I have with the four-minute mile. All my trophies are now on display at Pembroke College Oxford, where I was Master.”

The race, held May 6, 1954, saw Bannister run 3:59.4 in Oxford, where he still lives. The runner is now 86. After retiring from athletics, he went on to have a successful career in medicine.

“I think it’s the right time to part with them and I plan to give part of the proceeds to the Autonomic Charitable Trust which encourages the area of neurological research to which I have devoted most of my life,” Bannister told the auction house. “Other worthwhile causes in which I have an interest will also benefit.”

The shoes will be auctioned at Christie’s South Kensington location in London along with a letter of provenance signed by Bannister.