This archive report was first published on 8 June 2020.
June 8, 2020, marked a significant milestone in the world of sports memorabilia as a pair of Michael Jordan's game-worn Nike sneakers sold for a record $560,000 (Sh59.4 million) at an online auction by Sotheby's New York.
The sneakers, a pair of 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1s, were custom-made for Jordan in sizes 13 and 13 1/2 in the Chicago Bulls colors. They were part of the collection of Jordan Geller, a collector and founder of the Shoezeum, the world's first sneaker museum.
Sotheby's earlier estimated that the sneakers would fetch as much as $150,000, but the bidding process, which started more than a week ago, saw the shoes sell for almost four times the initial estimate.
The sale of the sneakers has set a new record for Sotheby's, surpassing the previous record of $437,500 paid for Nike's 'Moon Shoe' last year.
The sale of the sneakers comes at a time when Michael Jordan's popularity has been rekindled by the release of the ESPN documentary series 'The Last Dance,' which chronicles his career and the Chicago Bulls' pursuit of their sixth NBA championship during the 1997-98 season.
