A pair of Michael Jordan's shoes have become the most valuable sneakers ever to be sold at auction.
Sotheby's says the Nike Air Jordan 13 sneakers sold for a record $2.2 million on Tuesday. The basketball legend wore them during the 1998 NBA Finals, known as "The Last Dance" because it was Jordan's final year with the Chicago Bulls.
It may be a new world record, but the shoes sold on the lower end of estimates. They had been expected to fetch between $2 million and $4 million, the auction house told CNBC last month.
"Today's record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations," said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectibles.
Jordan wore the valuable sneakers during Game 2 of the NBA Finals, where he scored 37 points as the Bulls beat the Utah Jazz, 93-88. After the game, Jordan gifted the sneakers to a longtime Jazz ball boy who maintained the visitors' locker room.
The Bulls went on to win the 1998 NBA Finals for their sixth title of the decade in a season that has gained notoriety and inspired the ESPN and Netflix documentary "The Last Dance."
Jordan memorabilia has been a hot commodity for auction houses such as Sotheby's and has helped them grow their business with new, younger clients.
The auction house sold a pair of Michael Jordan's Air Ships for $1.472 million in 2021 and last year sold a game-worn jersey from Jordan's final season for a record-breaking $10.1 million, which became the most valuable game-worn sports memorabilia to ever be sold.
