A pair of Michael Jordan’s game-worn Air Jordans from an unfortunate time in his career have a new owner and the price tag to acquire them was steep.
Player issued Air Jordan 1s believed to have been worn by Jordan during a game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 29, 1985 recently sold for $422,130 through auction house Lelands. The date of that game is significant because it’s when Jordan suffered a fractured bone in his left foot, causing him to miss six months of action and derailing his sophomore season.
Lelands obtained the sneakers from a consignor whose father was gifted the game-worn sneakers personally from Jordan at the time. The pair comes in Jordan’s famously mismatched size 13 (left) and 13 ½ (right), and features “850102-TYPS” stamping along the interior linings. Because of the shoe’s production midway through the 1984-85 season, there’s speculation that Jordan may have also worn these at some point in his rookie campaign, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
Jordan, of course, would return against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 15, 1986, helping lead the Bulls to the playoffs. Initially, he’d train and play in a modified version of the Air Jordan 1 built with a support strap.
Game-worn Jordan sneakers have been a hot commodity in recent years following ESPN’s airing of The Last Dance documentary. Last October, Jordan’s Nike Air Ships, which predate the Air Jordan line, sold for $1.47 million though Sotheby’s.
