The question of how many pairs of Alexander McQueen armadillo shoes there are is an interesting one. It’s a ‘fact’ often repeated that only 24 pairs have ever been made – this is what Wikipedia states and this seems to have been adopted by other media outlets. But is that true?
Armadillo shoes made in 2010 for the Plato’s Atlantis collection
Following the show, a Daily Beast article published in February 2010 (updated July 2017) stated that:
“In all, 21 pairs of the shoes exist—20 from the runway show and one additional—and good luck if you want a pair. According to a McQueen press officer, most have already been sold to private collectors, “people who understood they are pieces of art rather than just ‘shoes.'” The company has been inundated with requests and is now considering auctioning off what few pairs remain, “for charity purposes.” They range in price from $3,900 to $10,000, depending on the material and embroidery, according to a clerk at the New York McQueen store”
An article by Christie’s at the time of the 2015 UNICEF auction (see more below) stated:
“While the clothes for his Plato’s Atlantis collection, and the innovation behind it, showed digital prints with microscopic details of animal skins, his shoes for this collection were the standout. Named ‘The Armadillo Boot’ and made specifically for the runway (except for a few for his friends who managed to snag a coveted pair), only a total of 21 pairs were ever created”.
The reference here to the exception for a few friends who managed to snag a coveted pair is presumably intended to refer to those friends having obtained one of the runway pairs, rather than (as it could read), that the shoes were made specifically for the runway apart from some additional pairs that were created for a handful of friends.
For a look at the 20 pairs of show shoes, see this post. For a consideration of the question of the 21st pair of Plato’s Atlantis shoes, see this post.
Armadillo shoes made in 2015 for the UNICEF auction
In 2015 it was announced by Alexander McQueen and Christie’s auction house that three new pairs of armadillo shoes were to be auctioned in Christie’s Handbags & Accessories Auction from July 14 – 23, 2015 in support of UNICEF’s relief efforts in Nepal.
The armadillo shoes were authentically remade exclusively for sale in the auction. 100% of the net amount from the auction sale of these lots were donated by Alexander McQueen to the US Fund for UNICEF to support the Nepal relief efforts.
Together with the original 21 pairs of shoes from 2010, this would bring the number of armadillo shoes to 24.
Are there any other armadillo shoes?
This is an excellent question and one which will be returned to in subsequent posts. There is certainly evidence that there are more than just the 24 pairs out there that the established position suggests.