With the world watching on as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn into office Wednesday, it was the new Vice President's ne...
With the world watching on as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn into office Wednesday, it was the new Vice President's nephew-in-law who captured the attention of social media after he was seen descending the Capitol steps in an incredibly expensive pair of sneakers.
Nikolas Ajagu, the partner of Harris' niece Meena, was spotted by eagle-eyed viewers sporting a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 sneakers during the 59th presidential inauguration this morning.
Only 8,500 pairs of the shoes were made as part of a collaboration between Dior and Jordan last year, which all sold out immediately at their retail price of $2,200. They now sell for up to as much as $10,000 on re-sale sites.
Sneaker fanatics first sighted the ultra-rare kicks while Sen. Amy Klobuchar was delivering a speech moments before Biden was administered the oath of office.
The discovery prompted an online investigation to identify the culprit behind the daring fashion statement, in addition to inspiring a host of memes and amusing pieces of commentary along the way.
'Had no idea the Department of Drip fell under the Executive Branch,' one observer mused.
Others called Ajagu, whose in his late 30s and works as head of global partnerships at Facebook, as the man who 'dared to drip'.
Nikolas Ajagu, the husband of Harris' niece Meena, was spotted by eagle-eyed viewers sporting a pair of Dior Air Jordan 1 sneakers during the 59th presidential inauguration this morning (He's shown above with his two daughters)
Sneaker fanatics first spotted the ultra-rare kicks while Sen. Amy Klobuchar was speaking moments before Biden was sworn in
Ajagu's identity was eventually revealed by his wife Meena, after streetwear brand owner Bobby Kim tweeted her to ask: 'Is Nik wearing the Dior 1s?'
'Yes, smh [so much hate],' she responded.
As Ajagu's shoes began trending on Twitter, Meena shared a laugh about her husband's new found fame, tweeting: 'I step away from Twitter for less than an hour for the inauguration ceremony and Nik's shoes are #1 trending?????'
Ajagu was widely credited as the man who 'dared to drip' at the inauguration across Twitter. Others called his bold wardrobe choice a 'defining moment in black history'.
'The dude rocking the Dior Air Jordan 1s just stole Inauguration Day,' wrote Zac Clark.
'A pair of Air Jordan Dior 1s at the #Inauguration? This is black history,' added Leon Langford.
Others theorized whether there was a deeper sentiment behind Ajagu's sneaker choice.
'I know the president be flying in air force 1, lemme put on my Air Force 1s,' wrote Miguel Camilo, parodying Ajagu's inner monologue.
Some users, meanwhile, found amusement in the fact that Ajagu's sneakers had, in the opinions of some, 'stolen the show'.
'Isn't it nice that this is what we can ponder over, instead of worrying about the nuclear codes?' said one Twitter user.
Later in the afternoon, a still sneaker-clad Ajagu was photographed alongside wife Meena, and aunt-in-law Kamala Harris as they walked a mile along the parade route to the White House.
'History was made today with @KamalaHarris as first woman of color VP, #Amandagorman as youngest poet to perform at an #Inauguration and let's not forget Kamala's nephew who made history by walking a mile in a pair of rare #Jordan #Dior kicks,' tweeted one sneaker fanatic. 'My face cringed with every step.'
In response to the shoes' $2,000 price-tag, another joked: 'My guy has our stimulus check on his feet.'
The Dior Jordan 1s hit shelves for a limited release back in 2020, and came as the first high-end brand collaboration for the sportswear giant. Mostly only celebrities and star athletes were able to get their hands on a pair.
Ajagu is the head of global partnerships at Facebook, and was also the founder of Barrel & Ink and Code & Canvas.
Meena Harris, meanwhile is an attorney and children's author, who recently her first book: 'Kamala and Maya's Big Idea', based on the lives of her mother and aunt. Meena also worked on Kamala Harris' campaign for Senate.
She and Ajagu reportedly met in 2007 while they were both working at Facebook. They have two children together, Amara and Leela, who also attended the inauguration.
The two young girls were seen taking a selfie while bundled up in matching furry jackets made to match the coat their great-aunt wore as a child in 1972.
Their coats were custom made by iloveplum, a female-founded children's wear startup in New York City, 'as an ode to their great aunt Kamala'.
Later in the afternoon, a still sneaker-clad Ajagu was photographed alongside wife Meena, and aunt-in-law Kamala Harris as they walked a mile along the parade route to the White House
Ajagu (pictured with Meena Harris) is the head of global partnerships at Facebook, and was also the founder of Barrel & Ink and Code & Canvas
Following the inauguration, Meena shared another image of her daughters (left) wearing their cute coats. Meena also shared an image of the new vice president when she was just a child (right) and wearing a similar jacket
Meena Harris (pictured with Amara and Leela), an attorney who recently released her first children's book 'Kamala and Maya's Big Idea,' shared a sweet snap of her daughters on Tuesday with the caption: 'They're screaming 'INAUGURAAAATIONNNNN''
Ajagu wasn't the only one donning sneakers on Inauguration Day, however. Joe Biden's granddaughter, Maisy Biden, showed up in the Air Jordan 1 Mid Sisterhood.
Another attendee of the ceremony turning heads for his fashion choices was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who stole the affections of social media with his pair of brown knitted mittens.
The gloves were reportedly given to him by a teacher in his home state, and they're said to be made with repurposed wool sweaters and a fleece lining sourced from recycled plastic bottles.
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