Michael Jordan’s signature shoes from 1985 sold at record-breaking auction price
Just in case you didn’t know, a pair of Michael Jordan‘s game-worn shoes from 1985 was brought up for an auction. The auction house already expected it to be sold at such a high price. However, it shocked Sotheby’s as it actually broke the world auction record for a pair of sneakers.
Michael Jordan’s signature shoes from 1985 sold at record-breaking auction price
The sneakers were known as one of the most important basketball ones of all time made exclusively for the legendary NBA Chicago Bulls player. It surpassed the previous auction record of $437,500 set at Sotheby’s in July 2019 which Nike Waffle Racing Flat ‘Moon Shoe’ took. Michael Jordan’s signature sneakers soared up to $560,000.
In a news release, the auction house said that it followed a bidding war which drove the value up by USD$300,000 within the final twenty minutes of the sale. The pair also achieved more than 3.5x their $150,000 high estimate. Aside from that, the bidders also came from six countries across four continents.
Why were the shoes so special?
The Nike Air Jordan 1s were made exclusively for the NBA player himself. It featured red laces instead of black and white. Produced between February to April 1985, Jordan wore the pair during the pivotal point of his career. This, then, catapulted the sneakers’ popularity. He wore mismatched shoes most of his career with a size 13 on his left and 13.5 on his right.
At the time, Nike didn’t offer mid-top sneakers to the public- only highs and lows. Jordan wore the pair until October 29, 1985, when he broke his foot and took 64 games off during his second season to take time for his healing. Upon his return to the game, he wore modified versions of the Air Jordan 1.
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All photos came from Sotheby’s.
