Blue suede shoes worn by Elvis sell for £120k

The shoes had been verified by a close friend of Presley and a leading authority on the singer

Blue suede shoes worn by Elvis Presley have sold for £120,000 at auction.

The singer, known as the king of rock and roll, wore the pair on and off stage during the 1950s, including during an appearance on the Steve Allen television show.

They were sold by auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, at a hammer price of £95,000, rising to £120,000 with fees and VAT.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: "They are as iconic as they can be."

The shoes were given to Presley's friend Alan Fortas after the singer was called up to join the American army

“Blue suede shoes, hound dog, these are things that you think of immediately when you talk about Elvis Presley, they almost transcend popular culture," added Mr Aldridge.

“They [the shoes] are just an exceptional piece of showbusiness, music and popular culture memorabilia.”

The shoes, size 10.5, were given to Alan Portas, a friend of Elvis, after the singer was called up to join the US Army.

Mr Aldridge said: “When Elvis was called up for the American Army he had a get-together at Graceland.

“He called some of the guests upstairs and gave away some of the clothes he didn’t think he’d need or want when he came back from the army."

The shoes went under the hammer on Friday

The legendary singer bought the shoes, which have been displayed in various museums over the years, after performing Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins on his debut album, Elvis Presley.

Mr Aldridge said the shoes had been verified by Jimmy Velvet, a close friend of Presley and a leading authority on the singer.

Last year, the auction house sold a mink coat owned by the singer for £128,000 to a US collector.

Also auctioned on Friday was a two-piece suit worn by Queen's Freddie Mercury, fetching £47,000.

The suit, alongside a pair of black velvet Church's 'Crown' loafers, was worn during the 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' music video, months before the Queen lead singer died in 1991.