Sotheby’s auction will sell Michael Jordan’s sneakers for a record amount of money

Michael Jordan doesn’t need a special introduction, everyone knows about the basketball legend. His cooperation with Nike lasts for a very long time, and Jordan models have become an integral part of the snickerheads’ collection.

Recently it was reported that at the Sotheby’s auction will be sold the very red and white pair, in which Jordan played in 1984. We tell you how much the pair was valued at and what other sneakers were sold at the house’s latest auction.

What is Sotheby’s?

Sotheby’s is a leading auction house that recently launched a new Buy Now platform. There, you can purchase luxury goods and collectible models without going through bidding and additional fees. The site features Hermes bags made of exotic leather, rare wines, jewelry, classic cars, decorative objects and sports lots, which we will tell you about in more detail.

The platform’s creators are targeting a young audience looking for their first luxury purchase or to add to an existing collection. The auction’s products include a variety of contemporary handbags, sneakers (such as a pair of Shaquille O’Neal collabs with Reebok) and jewelry.

Michael Jordan’s Gaming Sneakers

On Oct. 24, an auction in Las Vegas will likely update the record for the most expensive sneakers in history sold through an open public transaction. Sotheby’s will sell a pair of Nike Air Ships signed by Michael Jordan that he played a match in. The pair already has a current bid of $1.1 million (estimate: $1-1.5 million).

Sotheby’s is selling these sneakers with three expert opinions, in addition to a letter from the former owner. One confirms the possibility that the sneakers may have been worn during the match. The second opinion attests to the authenticity of Jordan’s signature, and the third is a letter which states that “notes a possible Photomatch to Mr. Jordan’s 3rd NBA game indicating a possibility that this pair was worn in additional games before the 1st of November 1984” – that is, it is possible that this or a similar pair was worn by Michael in another game.

What makes these sneakers so? The fact that they are the earliest pair in which Jordan appeared in regular season games. They were given to Denver Nuggets ball boy T.J. Lewis after the Chicago Bulls’ game against the Denver Nuggets on November 1, 1984.

Unlike other versions that have appeared on the market before, these have a special detail on the heel: it simply says Air, as seen in archival photos of the November 1, 1984 game, while later models wrote Nike Air. Most of the examples that appeared earlier have Nike Air written on the heels. Also, the sneakers have Michael Jordan’s autograph on them, confirmed by forensics.

Two more pairs that have already been bought

At the Cult Canvas online auction held in early October, which was also held by Sotheby’s, another pair significantly exceeded the starting price – Yellow Lobster SB Dunks. The sneakers were sold for $ 478,800 (that’s about 33.5 million rubles).

In 2007, Nike partnered with the brand Concepts to create the Dunk Lobsters line. The model, presented at the online auction sale, is distinguished by its yellow speckled coloring and black rubber band on the toes (this is a reference to the caught lobsters, which have immobilized claws). The run was only 36 pairs, which were not available at retail but were gifted to friends and family of the brands in conjunction with the launch of the blue lobsters. This lot was sold for 478,800 Hong Kong dollars (that’s about 4.4 million rubles).

There was also sold this prototype/sample of the Nike Dunk Low SB Freddy Krueger (about 3.2 million rubles). In this model, Nike pays homage to the villain who plays a key role in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The striped pattern echoes the ornamentation of Freddy Krueger’s sweater with blood splatters on the beige leather overlays. The sneakers themselves have never been released to the general public.