Michael Jordan's 1985 Air Jordans Sell For World-Record Price

CHICAGO, IL — Michael Jordan's autographed, game-worn Air Jordan 1s from 1985 sold for a record-breaking $560,000 on Sunday, making them the most expensive pair of sneakers ever sold at auction, according to Guinness World Records. The shoes, designed for Jordan just a year after the Chicago Bulls legend signed with Nike for a signature line of clothing and shoes, were worn on the court in 1985.

"Produced between February to April 1985, Jordan wore the present pair of Air Jordan 1s during an early, pivotal point of his career and thus catapulted the sneaker’s popularity," Sotheby's said.

After a bidding war for the pair drove the price up by $300,000, the pair sold for three-and-a-half times their estimated price with 10 bidders from around the globe vying for them.

The Vintage Originals are in the Chicago Bulls colors of black, white and red — "the Air Jordan 1 colorway that Michael Jordan wore the most often on the court," according to Sotheby's. The shoes are slightly mismatched, like most of the shoes Jordan wore during his career, in size 13 for the left shoe and size 13.5 for the right shoe.

The obviously worn shoes also bear Jordan's signature in permanent marker.

The end of bidding coincided with the final episodes of ESPN's documentary "The Last Dance," which chronicled Jordan's legendary rise from a rookie player to one of the biggest stars in the world, closely following the Bulls' 1997-98 season — the last season with the Bulls for both Jordan and coach Phil Jackson.

"The Last Dance"averaged 5.6 million viewers over its 10-episode run, making it the most-watched documentary series ever for ESPN.

The massively popular Nike Air Jordans were first made in 1984.

The Air Jordan 1 sale exceeded the previous record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold, held by the same seller, Jordan Geller. In July 2019, Geller sold a pair of 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat "Moon Shoe" sneakers for $437,500 at Sotheby's.

The sale "shows not only the incredible appeal of Michael Jordan as one of the most recognizable and legendary athletes of all time, but also that sneaker collecting is truly a global and growing market," according to Sotheby's.