A pair of trainers once worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan has sold for $2.2m (£1.7m) at auction, becoming the priciest shoes ever sold.
The signed sneakers – which Sotheby’s had estimated would fetch $2m to $4m – are among the most expensive Jordan items auctioned.
A jersey he wore at the 1998 NBA Finals sold in 2022 for $10.1m.
The latest sale seals Jordan’s position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia.
“Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables.
The previous record for Jordan shoes was $1.47m for a pair of his Nike Air Ships auctioned in 2021.
The Air Jordan XIIIs sold on Tuesday were worn by the basketball star during his last championship season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98.
Jordan had the size-13 shoes on when he scored 37 points in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals series, carrying the Bulls to a 93-88 victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Bulls went on to win the championship, a story told in the 2020 documentary series “Last Dance” about the megastar’s last season with the team.
It was Jordan’s sixth NBA championship and the fifth time he’d be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
Right after the Game 2 victory, Jordan gave the shoes to a ball boy in the locker room as thanks for finding a lost jacket, Sotheby’s auction house says.
The “Bred” Air Jordans – short for “black and red” – are the only complete pair of sneakers worn by Jordan in an NBA Finals game to be authenticated, Sotheby’s said.
Jordan wore the first Air Jordan shoe in 1984 during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. The Air Jordan I became available to the general public the following year. To date, more than 30 different models of the Air Jordan have been made.
Jordan won a total of six NBA Finals championships, two Olympic Gold Medals and numerous other accolades.
He is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
Image caption: The Chicago Bulls’ Michael Jordan takes a shot during Game 4 of the 1998 NBA Finals in Salt Lake City, Utah