£463k for Michael Jordan’s trainers
A PAIR of trainers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan has fetched a recordbreaking £463,380 at auction – four times the estimated sale price.
Michael, 57, first wore the Nike Air Jordan 1s back in 1985 in his first season with the Chicago Bulls.
He went on to win six titles with the team and is regarded by many as the National Basketball Association’s greatest player.
The staggering sum shattered Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate of between £82,000 and £123,500.
Last year, the auction house held its first sale dedicated to trainers. It sold a pair of 1972 Nike running shoes, known as the Moon Shoe, for a then-record sum of £360,314.
Michael had a reputation for wearing mismatched trainers, with the left a size 13 and the right a size 13.5.
The signed hi-tops were sold by Jordan Geller, who founded the trainer museum Shoezeum in Las Vegas. The sale sparked stiff rivalry.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s director of e-commerce development, said: “We saw tremendous bidding up until the moment the sale closed, with the value more than doubling in the final hour alone. That coupled with strong international bidding from six countries on four continents shows not only the incredible appeal of Michael Jordan, but also that sneaker collecting is truly a global and growing market.”
The auction coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Nike-owned Air Jordan brand.
It also follows the launch of a 10-part documentary entitled The Last Dance about the Chicago Bulls and 6ft 6in Michael, which is being screened on Netflix.
He played 15 seasons in the NBA, finally retiring from the game in 2003.