Before Michael Jordan made Nike and Air Jordan sneakers a staple on the court and in sneaker culture, he started with a pair of Converse. While rising to stardom at UNC, MJ rocked the Converse Pro Leather model. That exact sneaker recently sold for over $33K at an auction.
Grey Flannel Auctions, known for game-worn and autographed memorabilia, put up a pair of autographed Pro Leathers that were worn by Jordan during his freshman year. If you're up on your basketball history, he wore the white pair of the Pro Leather model during the 1982 NCAA Championship game when he hit the game-winner against Georgetown. The Tar Heel blue pair that was auctioned is considered the rarer of the two.
According to Grey Flannel Auctions, Jordan himself gifted the sneakers directly to the consignor, who was one of MJ's teammates back in high school.
The final bid on the sneakers was $27,815, but came out to a total of $33,378 with a Buyer's Premium fee.
It's definitely an important piece of history, and at $33K, it probably trumps over snekerheads' entire Air Jordan retro collections.
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[via Grey Flannel Auctions]
