An auction for a rare pair of Michael Jordan’s game-worn Air Jordan 1’s from his rookie season recently sold for an astounding $26,290.
Michael Jordan shoes, said to be used in 1985, sold for $26,290 by @HeritageAuction pic.twitter.com/9UD6OkYER5
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 8, 2015
According to the description at the auction page, the pair was worn by Jordan on April 8, 1985 when the Bulls lost to the Indiana Pacers 107-103. Jordan recorded 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists that night.
The sneakers were apparently given to a then-young fan who ran up to Jordan at the hotel that the Bulls were staying at after the game.
When he walked into the lobby, he was swarmed by kids for autographs. I walked up to him and all he said was ‘They are in the bag.” I unzipped it as it hung over his shoulder then pulled them out. I handed him a marker and he autographed each shoe.
That sort of tale is almost too good to be true but the sneakers show all the signs of being authentic. The interior of each shoe has the “850102-TYPS” marking that is used to identify Jordan’s personal sneakers and the left sneaker is a size 13 while the right sneaker is a size 13 1/2, which match Jordan’s specifications.
Kudos to the kid for hanging on to that memorabilia for over thirty years. The investment definitely paid off.
[Darren Rovell][Heritage Auctions]