Featured here is a gorgeous pair of bronzed track shoes originally worn by 3-time Olympic champion Mal Whitfield. Unbeatable at 800 meters from the late 1940s to the early 1950s Whitfield won two NCAA titles at Ohio State University during which time he took home gold medals in the 800 and the 4x400 meter relay in the 1948 Olympic Games in London. He also won the bronze in the 400 meters. The man they called "Marvelous Mal" repeated as Olympic champion in the 800 at the 1952 Helsinki Games and picked up a silver in the 4x400 meter relay. All told Mal won five Olympic medals set U.S. records at 400 meters and 440 yards and broke three world records two at 880 yards (1:49.2 and 1:48.6) and one at 1000 meters (2:20.8).

Before attending Ohio State Whitfield flew with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and later served in the Korean War while still finding the time to dominate on the track. In 1954 Whitfield became the first black athlete to win the James E. Sullivan Award given annually by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the country. He then spent 47 years with U.S. State Department overseeing sports programs that developed and trained African athletes for the Olympics. He traveled to 132 countries and set up over 5000 scholarships for African athletes to study in the U.S. earning special recognition from Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. His athletic and post-racing career paralleled that of Jesse Owens who also attended Ohio State and won three Olympic gold medals before serving as a key U.S. ambassador overseas. Whitfield now 90 years old is the father of CNN anchor Fred Whitfield.

These special shoes are attributed to the 880-yard world record Mal Whitfield set in 1950 when he clocked 1:49.2 at a meet in Cleveland Ohio. They are believed to be the actual cleats (pre-bronzed) that "Marvelous Mal" wore in that race. Approximately size 9 and narrow each shoe has two small holes on the sole one at the toe and the other at the heel which are probably intended for framing or display. The bright bronze glaze still shines as if they were finished yesterday. A truly rare gem for the track and field Olympic and American sports history collector!

Includes a Letter of Provenance from the Helms Athletic Foundation/LA84 Collection.