Michael Jordan's game-worn rookie Air Ships sell for record-shattering $1.47M
A pair of game-worn shoes Michael Jordan scored during his rookie year sold for $1.47 million at Sunday's auction, breaking the previous record of $615,000 set by Jordanian shoes last year.
Sotheby's estimates the shoes will cost between $1 million and $1.5 million. Card collector Nick Fiorella put the winning bid at $1.47 million at the Icon of Excellence & Haute Luxury auction in Las Vegas.
The shoes are Nike Air Ships, designed by the icon Bruce Kilgore, who in 1982 created Nike Air Force 1s and then designed the Air Jordan IIs. The legend is that when Nike concluded an agreement with Jordan in 1984, his first Air Jordan 1s was not ready. Meanwhile, Nike has supplied Jordan with aircraft, but the Jordanian aircraft were so coloured that the NBA informed him that they were in breach of the uniform clause.
The pair, in particular, were signed by Jordan, as well as have a talent for care and are currently sold by former Nuggets ball boy TJ Lewis.
Brahm Wachter, who led Sotheby's streetwear and modern collector's arms, said, "Since news of these sneakers broke out, it has caused. [Buzz] Big, this special result for Jordan airship Nike not only mentions the strength of the collection goods market, but also the respect held by Michael Jordan's products and Jordan franchises."
The previous record for worn sneakers was, unsurprisingly, also a pair of Jordan. In a preseason exhibition in Italy in 1985, 토토 Jordan smashed the backboard with a dunk. Air Jordan 1s he wore the game -- still with a piece of glass in the sole of his left shoe -- sold at Christie's auction in August 2020 for $615,000.
Jordan Air Ships is the second most expensive shoe ever sold at auction, the prototype Yeezy 1 Kanye West revealed and worn at the 2008 Grammy sold for $1.8 million with Sotheby's last April.
Sotheby's estimates the shoes will cost between $1 million and $1.5 million. Card collector Nick Fiorella put the winning bid at $1.47 million at the Icon of Excellence & Haute Luxury auction in Las Vegas.
The shoes are Nike Air Ships, designed by the icon Bruce Kilgore, who in 1982 created Nike Air Force 1s and then designed the Air Jordan IIs. The legend is that when Nike concluded an agreement with Jordan in 1984, his first Air Jordan 1s was not ready. Meanwhile, Nike has supplied Jordan with aircraft, but the Jordanian aircraft were so coloured that the NBA informed him that they were in breach of the uniform clause.
The pair, in particular, were signed by Jordan, as well as have a talent for care and are currently sold by former Nuggets ball boy TJ Lewis.
Brahm Wachter, who led Sotheby's streetwear and modern collector's arms, said, "Since news of these sneakers broke out, it has caused. [Buzz] Big, this special result for Jordan airship Nike not only mentions the strength of the collection goods market, but also the respect held by Michael Jordan's products and Jordan franchises."
The previous record for worn sneakers was, unsurprisingly, also a pair of Jordan. In a preseason exhibition in Italy in 1985, 토토 Jordan smashed the backboard with a dunk. Air Jordan 1s he wore the game -- still with a piece of glass in the sole of his left shoe -- sold at Christie's auction in August 2020 for $615,000.
Jordan Air Ships is the second most expensive shoe ever sold at auction, the prototype Yeezy 1 Kanye West revealed and worn at the 2008 Grammy sold for $1.8 million with Sotheby's last April.
