The impending Sotheby’s auction of Michael Jordan’s game-worn Air Jordan 13s is set to shake the world of shoe collecting. The shoes, which MJ wore in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals, are set to smash the global record for the highest amount ever paid at auction for a pair of footwear. Sotheby’s established the previous record in 2021 when it sold a pair of Nike Air Ships for $1.472 million.
MeiGrey, the NBA’s certified authenticators, validated the provenance of these AJ13s. The shoes are photo matched to Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals when Michael Jordan wore them before passing them to a ball boy. MeiGrey has confirmed a full pair of Jordan sneakers used in a Finals series for the first time. As a result, the shoes are projected to cost between $2 and $4 million.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Contemporary Collectibles, had this to say about the auction: “Michael Jordan game-worn sports memorabilia has proven time and time again to be the most elite and coveted items on the market. However, items from his ‘Last Dance’ season are of a greater scale and magnitude as seen with our record-breaking sale of his Game 1 jersey in 2022. Worn in his final year with the Bulls, the iconic Air Jordans coming to auction this April will be sure to excite the collector community and sports fans in this most important Jordan Year.”
As part of Sotheby’s ‘VICTORIAM’ collection, bidding on these AJ13s will begin on April 3 and end on April 11. The sneakers are guaranteed to get a lot of attention from the sneaker world as well as sports enthusiasts. With a pedigree validated by the NBA’s official authenticators and a historic importance that cannot be overstated, these Air Jordan 13s are destined to smash records and catch the world’s attention.
Watch the web-story for a look at the entire shoe.
