A pair of basketball shoes worn by US basketball star Michael Jordan have sold for a record price at a Las Vegas auction
Jordan wore the pair of Nike Air Ships during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls in 1984.
The shoes were what founded the iconic partnership between Jordan and Nike – now a signature global brand.
The sale also marks the highest price ever paid for game-worn footwear of any sport, easily beating out the previous record of $615,000 paid for a pair of Nike Air Jordan’s in 2020.
#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 price still falls short of the most expensive sneakers ever sold.
Recent sales are just the beginning of rare shoe market that’s beginning to soar.
In April, rapper Kanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes sold for $1.8 million at a private sale.
The record price for sneakers has been broken several times in recent years, and the market is now considered much more niche than ever before, attracting interest from leading collectors as well as the general public.
