A set of six Nike Air sneakers worn by NBA legend Michael Jordan in the 1990s was sold for $8 million at a Sotheby’s auction, setting a new record for the most expensive game-worn sneakers ever sold off.
The prices reached for the “Dynasty Collection” “will likely never be replicated”, Sotheby’s boasted in a statement that did not disclose the buyer’s identity.
“Today’s record-breaking price is a testament to the GOAT,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Modern Collectibles, using a popular acronym for “greatest of all time.”
Last April the company, owned by French-Israeli tycoon Patrick Drahi, auctioned a pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in his last championship final with the Chicago Bulls in 1998 for $2.2 million.
That was a record for the shoes, “Bred” (“Black and Red”) Air Jordan XIII, which were signed by the player.
He wore them in Salt Lake City for the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz, documented in the Netflix and ESPN documentary “The Last Dance.”
The six shoes sold on Friday were an Air Jordan VI (1991), VII (1992), VIII (1993), XI (1996), XII (1997) and an Air Jordan XIV (1998).
The record for the most expensive jersey in auction history is Michael Jordan’s 1998 final shirt, which went for $10.1 million in September 2022.
It leads Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s World Cup quarter-final shirt from his side’s storied clash against England in 1986, which handily brought in $9.3 million in May 2022.
Demand from collectors since 2021 has driven up the prices commanded by such items at auction.
The record for the most expensive jersey in auction history is Michael Jordan’s 1998 final shirt, which went for $10.1 million in September 2022.
It leads Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s World Cup quarter-final shirt from his side’s storied clash against England in 1986, which handily brought in $9.3 million in May 2022.
