Michael Jordan’s rookie-season Nike sneakers sold for about $71,000 in April 2015, and the market has since moved far past that: a game-worn pair fetched $2.2 million at Sotheby’s in April 2023, and six championship pairs sold together for $8 million in February 2024. Here is how the prices stack up.
| Date | Shoes | Price | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1997 Finals “Flu Game” sneakers | About $104,800 (reported) | Auction |
| April 2015 | Rookie-season Nike pair worn December 2, 1984 | $71,000 | SCP Auctions |
| September 2021 | Record sneaker sale | About $1.5 million (reported) | Auction |
| April 2023 | “Bred” Air Jordan 13, Game 2 of the 1998 Finals | $2.2 million | Sotheby’s |
| February 2, 2024 | Six pairs, one from the last game of each of six title series | $8 million | Sotheby’s |
The 2015 sale: a ball boy’s closet find
The pair was sold at auction more than 30 years after the game, for $71,000. They are white leather with a red Nike Swoosh and a red heel, worn by Jordan in a Chicago Bulls win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1984-85 season. His last time wearing them was December 2, 1984, the only game he played at the Great Western Forum that season, when he scored 20 points in a 113-112 victory.
Jordan then autographed the shoes and gave them to a Lakers ball boy, Khalid Ali, who asked him for them right after the game. Ali says he snuck into the locker room where Jordan kept his promise. The sneakers, which came with a detailed letter of authenticity, sat in his closet until they were sold through SCP Auctions. Bidding began on April 8, 2015, passed the $50,000 that was previously expected, and closed on Saturday, April 25.
“These are very rare shoes indeed,” said SCP Auctions spokesman Dan Imler. “Jordan actually handed these to the attending Lakers’ ball boy after the game and they have stayed in his possession for the past 31 years. Their provenance is flawless.”
The pair was bought by an avid fan of Michael Jordan. At the time it was not the most expensive Jordan-worn item: the sneakers from the 1997 Finals “Flu Game” had reportedly sold for $104,800 in 2013.
How prices exploded after 2015
In April 2023 Sotheby’s sold a pair of “Bred” Air Jordan 13s that Jordan wore in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals for $2.2 million, the record at the time for game-worn sports footwear. The price landed just above the low estimate of $2 million. It broke his own sneaker record of about $1.5 million, set in September 2021.
On February 2, 2024, Sotheby’s sold six game-worn Air Jordans for $8 million in New York, a new record for game-worn sneakers. Each was from the last game of a championship series (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998). The seller was a private American collector who got them from a longtime Bulls executive, and the buyer was not identified. The pairs together sold for a little under four times the single-pair record.
We found no 2025 or 2026 sneaker sale above those figures, though a larger sale may exist that we did not open.
What this tells you
Provenance beats everything. The 2015 pair came with a ball boy and a letter. The 2023 pair came from the NBA Finals. A pair worn in a title game is worth more than a pair worn in a December rookie game by a margin of roughly 30 times, and the six-pair set shows buyers will pay a premium to own a whole championship run.
FAQ
How much did Michael Jordan’s rookie Nikes sell for?
$71,000 in April 2015 through SCP Auctions, for a pair he wore on December 2, 1984.
What is the record price for Michael Jordan sneakers?
$8 million for six game-worn pairs at Sotheby’s on February 2, 2024. For a single pair, the record we found is $2.2 million for the Air Jordan 13s from Game 2 of the 1998 Finals, sold in April 2023.
Who got Jordan’s shoes in 1984?
Lakers ball boy Khalid Ali, who asked Jordan for them after the game.
How much did the Flu Game sneakers sell for?
About $104,800 in 2013, as reported.
Have Jordan sneakers sold for more since 2024?
We found no higher sale in 2025 or 2026, but we may have missed one.
Last updated: October 2026.
