Michael Jordan's first Air Jordan sneakers sold for record $800,000 in auction
The Air Jordan 1s were designed for Michael Jordan in 1985.
PHOTO: Reuters
PUBLISHED ONMay 18, 2020 2:23 AM
NEW YORK - NBA great Michael Jordan's autographed match-worn sneakers from his rookie season fetched a record US$560,000 (S$800,000) in an online auction, Sotheby's said on Sunday (May 17).
The Air Jordan 1s, designed for Jordan in 1985 and the first ever signature sneakers, were expected to fetch between US$100,000 to US$150,000 in the auction that closed on Sunday.
Known for selling multimillion-dollar art, Sotheby's held its first auction dedicated entirely to sneakers last year and had then set a world record of US$437,500 for a pair of 1972 Nike running shoes known as the "Moon Shoe."
Like most of Jordan's basketball shoes, they are a mismatched pair in a size 13 (left) and size 13.5 (right).
The auction coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Air Jordan brand and the screening of the 10-part ESPN documentary "The Last Dance" about the Chicago Bulls and Jordan.
The final two episodes of the show are set to air later on Sunday.
The shoes were sold by collector Jordan Geller, the founder of the sneaker museum Shoezeum in Las Vegas.