Las Vegas, Oct 26: A pair of Jordan’s sneakers worn by NBA superstar Michael Jordan early in his career sold at a Sotheby’s auction in Las Vegas on Sunday for $1.47 million, breaking a record for sneakers sold at auction.
The red-and-white shoes were worn by the iconic player in the fifth game of his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, and Nike’s Jordan-affiliated brand quickly became a sensation both on and off the court.
“The most valuable sneakers ever offered at auction — Michael Jordan’s regular season game-worn Nike Air Ships from 1984 — have just sold at $1,472,000 in our luxury sale in Las Vegas,” the auction house said in a statement on Twitter.
#AuctionUpdate The most valuable sneakers ever offered at auction—Michael Jordan’s regular season game-worn Nike Air Ships from 1984—have just sold at $1,472,000 in our luxury sale in Las Vegas. #SothebysxMGM pic.twitter.com/OlxvZ1ETML
— Sotheby’s (@Sothebys) October 24, 2021
The astronomical price easily beat the record held by a pair of Nike Air Jordans which sold for $615,000 in August 2020 at a Christie’s auction.
A pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s worn by rapper Kanye West sold for $1.8 million in April, triple the previous record for sneakers — although that was a private sale.
The market for rare sports shoes is soaring. The record price for sneakers has been broken several times recently as what was seen as a niche market a decade ago now attracts interest from the general public as well as leading collectors.
