The pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers that Michael Jordan was wearing when he broke his foot during a game in 1985 is expected to net hundreds of thousands of dollars. Leland’s estimates the sneakers can score up to a half-million dollars since it is likely the last pair of original Air Jordan 1s the NBA legend ever wore.
Jordan suffered the broken foot during his second season with the Chicago Bulls in a game against the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 29, 1985. Jordan ended up missing nearly five months and only played in 21 games that 1985-86 season — 18 regular season games and three playoff games.
These specific Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers were a gift to the consignor’s father, who received them personally from MJ. The sneakers remained in the family’s sole possession until now.
“The red-and-white Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers feature a black Nike Swoosh emblem on each side and black laces. The left shoe is size 13, while the right shoe is size 13 ½. The code 850102-TYPS is printed on the interior of each shoe. The (85) is code for 1985, (01) is code for January and (02) is code for February, meaning these shoes were produced between January and February of 1985. Nice wear is displayed throughout, including scuffs, loose threads, and paint transfers. Because the injury occurred in the third game of the 1985-1986 season, and because the shoes were produced halfway through the 1984-85 season, it’s possible that the shoes may have been worn during a portion of Jordan’s rookie season, but that is only speculation,” Leland’s writes in the description lot.
When Jordan finally returned to action on March 15, 1986, against the Milwaukee Bucks, he did so wearing modified versions of the Air Jordan 1s. These customized shoes featured a dunk sole, a custom strap, and even a prototype version known as the Air Jordan 1.5. Photographic evidence suggests that Jordan wore these modified shoes in 13 of the 18 games he played following his return, including the entire playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
While the exact game-worn status of the shoes in this auction cannot be confirmed with 100 percent certainty for a handful of games, the evidence strongly suggests that these may be the last pair of original Air Jordan 1s that MJ ever wore in an NBA game. A wire photo from the game against the Warriors, along with a newspaper article from the following day, provide tantalizing clues about the shoes’ authenticity. However, due to the limitations of 1985 photographic technology, a definitive photo-match is not possible.
The auction ends June 29.
This past February, a set of six individual sneakers worn by Jordan during the clinching games of his six career NBA championships sold for $8 million, setting a global auction record for game-worn sneakers.
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