Sotheby’s set a world record on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) with the sale of a pair of Michael Jordan’s sneakers from his famous Last Dance season for $US2.2 million ($3.3 million). The Air Jordan 13s became the most expensive sneakers ever sold, having been the final pair of Air Jordan XIII Breds worn by Michael in game two of the 1998 NBA Finals. Sotheby’s had lined up a buyer in advance, and the sale was always expected to break a record.
However, despite barely clearing the low estimate, the final price is a victory for sneaker collectors. The previous known record for sneaker sales was a $US1.8 million private sale of Nike Air Yeezy 1 sneakers worn by Ye (formerly Kanye West), while the previous public auction record was for a pair of Michael Jordan regular season game-worn Nike Air Ships, sold for $US1.5 million. Yet, these prices are still dwarfed by another sports memorabilia sale at Sotheby’s last year, where someone paid $US10.1 million for Jordan’s Last Dance jersey worn in game one of those ’98 finals.
The record-breaking sale comes at a time when Jordan’s career has returned to the public spotlight. The film Air, which chronicles his path to being signed by Nike, has received positive reviews, grossing a reported $US20.2 million since opening on April 5. Additionally, in March, ESPN reported that the NBA legend was in talks to sell a majority stake in Charlotte Hornets.
