Michael Jordan has recently set a new record, but this time around, not because of his incredible basketball skills. Well, partly, but mostly thanks to an iconic pair of his Nike shoes that he played some of his legendary NBA games in. Jordan has been the buzz of the town since The Last Dance was released, the ESPN documentary series about his life and career (that you all should seriously watch if you haven’t yet). And according to the series, a red pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers that the basketball star owned from 1985 was sold for a sky-high price during a Sotheby’s auction.
Not only were these sneakers worn by Jordan himself, but also had this signature written in permanent marker. With all things being said, the sneakers were sold for $560,000, setting a new world record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold, outdoing the previous record for a pair of 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat Moon Shoes by nearly $100,000. The auction was held online by Sothebys on May 17th – on the very same date that the last episode of his documentary was aired.
It’s likely that this contributed to the hefty price that someone put down for these sneakers, but either way, we understand the desire to have these shoes, especially if you’ve got the extra money lying around anyway. These iconic Nike sneakers were designed by Peter Moore in 1985, and according to sources, there were no shortage of bidders that were hoping to get their hands on these shoes, with people from across the globe, ranging in age and most bidders were actually new to Sotheby’s. It was sold for more than three and a half times more than its initial estimate – once again, proving that Michael Jordan really does fly.