Jordan Sneakers Sold For Record Amount Of Money

Six Nike Air Jordan sneakers, made popular by basketball legend Michael Jordan, fetched $8 million at auction on February 2, 2024. Though it’s not uncommon for rare collectible sneakers to be sold for thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars, what exactly made this collection so much more expensive?

For those who have followed Jordan’s career, the number 6 should stand out to you – it’s the number of NBA championships he won before retiring. It’s no coincidence that “The Dynasty Collection” comprises of six different shoes.

This collection, as well as Jordan’s legacy, would see its start in 1991. Before the NBA Finals, Tim Halland, executive director of PR for the Chicago Bulls, asked Jordan for one of his game-worn shoes if the team went on to win a ring that year. Not only was Halland gifted a shoe that year, but Jordan, who was quite superstitious, made it a tradition to continue giving Halland a shoe for every season they finish as Finals champions from then on.

This tradition would net Halland signed Air Jordan Vis in 1991, Vlls in 1992, Vllls in 1993, Xis in 1996, Xlls in 1997, and XIVs in 1998. Before being auctioned, these six shoes, alongside signed photos that depicted Jordan wearing only one shoe postgame, were obtained from Holland by a private collector for an unknown sum. There is even a chance that this collector had to pay more than $8m to convince Halland to part ways with this piece of NBA history.

While this sale represents a record for sneakers, this exorbitant sum was still not the highest amount of money Jordan memorabilia has ever sold for – that distinction lies with a single jersey, worn by Jordan during the 1998 “Last Dance” Finals, which sold for $10.1m.

(This article was featured in my School Newspaper.)