Retro pair of Jordans sells for even more than the record $1.4m paid by eBay bidder in June, says auction house
A pair of Michael Jordan’s signature sneakers has sold for a record $1.47m, a sum higher than expected and a kick in the stomach for the Chicago Bulls’ newest superstar.
The shoes auctioned on eBay, sneakers that he wore during his heyday, took in a whopping $200,000 above their $1.4m starting bid when bids started as high as $5,000. Online bidding peaked for a few minutes at $6m.
The shoes were used by Jordan during a charity event, and sold by a serial sports memorabilia seller who acquired them in the late 1980s and 1990s. They were then kept in a security vault until recently, according to Julien’s Auctions. The winning bid included a 15% buyer’s premium and a $38,000 commission, the auction house said.
Jordan bought the shoes for roughly $375,000 in 1997, his final season as a Chicago Bull. The now 52-year-old made history four years later, when he retired and was later inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jordan has famously shown his value to the game, just once going into retirement with a retirement package. He played briefly for the Washington Wizards as a 46-year-old after that retirement.
In June, a Florida man paid $1.4m to purchase an autographed Jordan jersey that was worn in the final game of his illustrious career.
The two auctions of Jordan’s sneakers, which drew more than 350,000 online bids, do not rank in Julien’s most expensive lots.
“This was the most phenomenal and extraordinary activity that I have seen for anything in the history of this company,” said Darren Julien, auctioneer at Julien’s Auctions.
He said the sale was an opportunity for fans to get access to Jordan and own a piece of history that could set them back $500 to $1m.
