A pair of sneakers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan in his rookie season in the NBA have fetched a record $560,000 in an online auction, Sotheby’s said.
The autographed Air Jordan 1s, designed for Jordan in 1985 and the first-ever signature sneakers, were expected to fetch between $100,000 to $150,000 in the auction that closed on Sunday.
Known for selling multimillion-dollar art, Sotheby’s held its first auction dedicated entirely to sneakers last year and had then set a world record of $437,500 for a pair of 1972 Nike running shoes known as the “Moon Shoe”.
Like most of Jordan’s basketball shoes, they are a mismatched pair in a size 13 (left) and size 13.5 (right).
The auction coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Air Jordan brand and the screening of the 10-part ESPN documentary The Last Dance about the Chicago Bulls and Jordan. The final two episodes of the show are set to air later on Sunday.