Early Curly: Lambeau’s Cleats Hit Auction Block

He’s got a stadium named after him and the Green Bay Packers owe their existence in large part to him, but not much Curly Lambeau memorabilia has survived the passage of time. A new discovery has changed that. A pair of previously unknown Lambeau cleats is heading to MEARS Online Auctions.

Lambeau was credited with adding the Packers to the early NFL more than 90 years ago and sustaining the franchise through many early hardships.

The staff of MEARS Auctions also combed auction catalogs, past sales records, and internet archives and was not able to find one single Lambeau game worn item to come to public market. The simple black shoes make a strong claim as the first and only Curly Lambeau game worn item to survive which can be linked to his possible playing days and coaching career. Research also dates this item exclusively to the 1929-43 era which matches Lambeau’s tenure with the Packers.

The current high bid in the auction is over $10,000.

Lambeau gave the shoes along with letters, photographs, and other items of memorabilia to a female friend in Wisconsin. Mary Jane Duyse kept them for many years before giving them to a man who lived next door. MEARS says he cherished them for many years before gifting them to the person who has consigned them to auction shortly before his death.

“The existences of the shoes have been known within the Packers collecting community for many years,” stated MEARS’ President Troy Kinunen. “Our consignors’ letter will chronicle the names of all owners in the custody chain.”

The shoes contain Lambeau’s nickname printed in block letters on the sole of one shoe and his initials on the other.

MEARS’ catalog description also chronicles the dating of the shoes and his final hours when the flamboyant Packer patriarch collapsed and died in the front yard of Mary Jane Duyse’s home after showing off some dance moves in 1965.