6 Michael Jordan Sports Shoes Fetch $8 Million in Auction

In an extraordinary auction held on Friday, six distinct pairs of "Nike Air Jordan" sports shoes worn by the legendary American basketball star Michael Jordan during the 1990s were sold for an astonishing $8 million.

The renowned auction house, Sotheby's, described this sale as a record-breaking price for this type of collectible and the second-highest ever for sports-related memorabilia associated with Michael Jordan.

The auction featured six individual shoes (not as three pairs), each given by Michael Jordan to Tim Hallam, the head of communication at the "Chicago Bulls," after critical championship games that led the team to win six NBA championships from 1991 to 1993 and from 1996 to 1998.

The selling price of $8 million at the Sotheby's auction in New York is a historic record for this category of collectibles and the second-highest price ever achieved for sports equipment associated with Michael Jordan.

According to a statement by Sotheby's, this collection, named the "Dynasty Collection," reached the pinnacle of prices for sports collectibles, without disclosing the identity of the buyer who acquired these six iconic sports shoes.

Back in April of last year, the auction house, owned by French-Israeli businessman Patrick Drahi, set another record by selling a pair of sports shoes worn by Jordan during his final NBA championship in 1998 for a staggering $2.2 million.

The six shoes sold on Friday include the "Air Jordan 6" (1991), 7 (1992), 8 (1993), 11 (1996), 12 (1997), and 14 (1998).

Auction houses such as Sotheby's, Christie's, and Julien's have noted a surge in demand from collectors since 2020-2021, particularly for sports and music-related memorabilia, resulting in soaring prices.

While the record for the most expensive sports jersey in auction history goes to the one worn by Jordan during his final moments on his way to his sixth and last NBA title with the Chicago Bulls in the 1997-1998 season, selling for $10.1 million, it outperformed the jersey worn by the late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup when he scored the famous "Hand of God" goal against England ($9.3 million in May 2022).