A pair of sneakers that were worn by basketball icon Michael Jordan was sold for $2.2 million (around €2 million) on Tuesday in New York, becoming the most expensive worn sports footwear in history, auction house Sotheby’s declared.
The sneakers broke the previous record set by a pair of Air Jordans that were sold for $1.5 million in 2021.
The auctioned shoes were a pair of the Air Jordan 13 sneakers that the basketball great wore during the 1998 NBA Finals, known as “The Last Dance”.
“Today’s record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said in a statement.
According to the auction organizers, Jordan gave the autographed pair of sneakers to a ball-boy after the game.
Sotheby said that the seller was not the original recipient of the shoes but did not give details about the buyer.
Despite setting a world record, the auction price for the sneakers fell well below the predicted price of $4 million.
