New York (AFP)
A pair of Air Jordan 1 sneakers worn in match by Michael Jordan himself was sold on Sunday for 560,000 dollars (517,000 euros) by Sotheby's, an absolute record for sneakers.
These two red, white and black shoes, made in 1985 and autographed by Michael Jordan, dethroned the "Moon Shoe", one of the first pairs produced by the equipment supplier Nike and sold in July 2019 for 437.500 dollars, also at Sotheby's .
This result attests to the wind of madness that currently affects all the objects linked to the legendary basketball player, following the broadcasting of the documentary "The Last Dance" (the last dance) on the saga of Jordan's Bulls, by ESPN in the United States and Netflix in the rest of the world.
It also confirms that "sneakers" now have a full place in the world of wealthy collectors, alongside more traditional works.
The pair of Air Jordan 1 Chicago, the most emblematic model of this generation, has largely surpassed the top of the estimate range given by Sotheby's, or $ 150,000 (low estimate at $ 100,000).
The Air Jordan 1 is the first model specially created by Nike for Michael Jordan and worn by the player during his first season in the NBA, the prestigious North American basketball league, in the jersey of the Chicago Bulls.
"I think these Air Jordan shoes worn in matches are the most iconic sneakers of all time," said the seller, collector Jordan Geller, at AFP, at the start of the sale.
"There is more interest than ever around Michael Jordan," he added, "and (this pair) is the most valuable collector item on the market today."
Unlike the Air Jordan 1 pair, the "Moon Shoes" sold last year had never been worn.
Before the sale concluded on Sunday, the record for a pair of athletic shoes worn by an athlete was held by the leather shoes with which the Briton Roger Bannister had become the first athlete to run the mile in less than 4 minutes (1954).
They were bought in 2015 by an anonymous collector during a sale at Christie's in London for 409,000 dollars.
© 2020 AFP