Six distinct Nike Air Jordan sneakers worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan during the 1990s achieved a record-breaking $8 million in a Sotheby’s auction. These mismatched shoes were given by Jordan to Chicago Bulls communications executive Tim Hallam after decisive games, leading the team to six NBA championships from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998.
The $8 million sale sets a new record for this unique collection, surpassing the previous record set by other Michael Jordan memorabilia. Sotheby’s, in a statement, celebrated the “Dynasty Collection,” reaching the pinnacle of prices for sports collectibles without disclosing details about the buyer.
This auction follows a milestone sale in April, where a pair of Air Jordan XIII ‘Bred’ sneakers worn by Jordan in the 1998 championship finals with the Chicago Bulls fetched $2.2 million, setting a record for these signed shoes.
The six sneakers sold on Friday included the Air Jordan VI (1991), VII (1992), VIII (1993), XI (1996), XII (1997), and an Air Jordan XIV (1998). Each pair represented a championship victory, and Jordan was known to celebrate with cigars, champagne, or phone calls to friends and family, often missing one shoe during the celebratory moments.
The surge in prices for sports and music memorabilia since 2020–2021 has been notable for auction houses like Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Julien’s. Michael Jordan’s jersey, worn in the 1998 finals, holds the record as the most expensive auctioned jersey, fetching $10.1 million in September 2022, surpassing the jersey of Argentina’s Diego Maradona from the 1986 World Cup, which sold for $9.3 million in May 2022.