World-famous auction house Christie’s is turning its gaze to the lucrative sneaker market with the first sale of its kind, announcing that from 20 July it will be offering a veritable treasure trove of original Michael Jordan sneakers from the player’s early days with the Chicago Bulls in the 1980s.
Christie’s will be offering a total of 11 lots to bidders in an online sale that will run until 13 August, hosted by retailer Stadium Goods, titled ‘Original Air: A Sale of Michael Jordan GameWorn and Player Exclusive Sneaker Rarities.’
The 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1 created a pop-culture defining moment that grew into Jordan’s incredible International brand. His partnership with Nike in the early days of his career with the Bulls was a landmark deal in professional sports.
There are some exceptionally rare offerings up for bidding. A pair of Nike Air Ship Jordan that were worn during his preprofessional season, pre-dating his deal with Nike could be yours for $350,000 to $550,000 (£270,000 to £420,000), and a pair of Air Jordans 7 ‘Olympic’ worn during the 1992 Olympics will set you back $50,000 to $70,000 (£38,000 to £54,000).
A pair of classic Jordan 14s worn before his final game for the Bulls will need bids between $6,000 to $8,000 (£4,600 to £6,100), and a portion of all the sale’s profits will be donated to The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) Legal Defence Fund.
The auction represents Christie’s broadening of its sales to meet the demand for pop-culture products in the luxury sector, and the partnership with Stadium Goods gives the auction house access to potential clients from outside the fine art world.
The sale follows the release of documentary series The Last Dance, which followed Jordan’s incredible almost two-decade-long career, as well as the auction of Jordan’s 1985 game-worn sneaker by Sotheby’s in May that were sold for a record $560,000.
John McPheters, co-founder and CEO of Stadium Goods acknowledged the incredible impact Michael Jordan has had on both basketball and sneakers. While there might not be any new stories to contribute to the legend, he added: “As we’ve seen with The Last Dance and now with our ‘Original Air’ auction with Christie’s, there are still lesser-known narratives in the legacy that create great interest.”
There has been a steady rise in streetwear on the auction market, and Christie’s curated sale marks a new collecting category to combines sports’ history, art, fashion, design, and contemporary lifestyle.
Aline Sylla-Walbaum, global managing director of luxury at Christie’s. “We sought to offer only the highest quality pieces in the same way we evaluate items for Christie’s Luxury sales - looking for quality, rarity, and uniqueness of design.”
Alongside the ‘Original Air’ sale, Christie's is also holding two further sports-centred auctions in a series titled ‘Gamechangers’. One private showcase, ‘For The Love Of The Game’ which will be open from 20 July to 14 August, and the second will offer works by American sports photographer Walter Iooss Jr. from 23 July to 11 August.
Are Nike Jordans your prized possessions? Visit our site for Jordan Air 1 retros and many others today!
Christie’s will be offering a total of 11 lots to bidders in an online sale that will run until 13 August, hosted by retailer Stadium Goods, titled ‘Original Air: A Sale of Michael Jordan GameWorn and Player Exclusive Sneaker Rarities.’
The 1985 Nike Air Jordan 1 created a pop-culture defining moment that grew into Jordan’s incredible International brand. His partnership with Nike in the early days of his career with the Bulls was a landmark deal in professional sports.
There are some exceptionally rare offerings up for bidding. A pair of Nike Air Ship Jordan that were worn during his preprofessional season, pre-dating his deal with Nike could be yours for $350,000 to $550,000 (£270,000 to £420,000), and a pair of Air Jordans 7 ‘Olympic’ worn during the 1992 Olympics will set you back $50,000 to $70,000 (£38,000 to £54,000).
A pair of classic Jordan 14s worn before his final game for the Bulls will need bids between $6,000 to $8,000 (£4,600 to £6,100), and a portion of all the sale’s profits will be donated to The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) Legal Defence Fund.
The auction represents Christie’s broadening of its sales to meet the demand for pop-culture products in the luxury sector, and the partnership with Stadium Goods gives the auction house access to potential clients from outside the fine art world.
The sale follows the release of documentary series The Last Dance, which followed Jordan’s incredible almost two-decade-long career, as well as the auction of Jordan’s 1985 game-worn sneaker by Sotheby’s in May that were sold for a record $560,000.
John McPheters, co-founder and CEO of Stadium Goods acknowledged the incredible impact Michael Jordan has had on both basketball and sneakers. While there might not be any new stories to contribute to the legend, he added: “As we’ve seen with The Last Dance and now with our ‘Original Air’ auction with Christie’s, there are still lesser-known narratives in the legacy that create great interest.”
There has been a steady rise in streetwear on the auction market, and Christie’s curated sale marks a new collecting category to combines sports’ history, art, fashion, design, and contemporary lifestyle.
Aline Sylla-Walbaum, global managing director of luxury at Christie’s. “We sought to offer only the highest quality pieces in the same way we evaluate items for Christie’s Luxury sales - looking for quality, rarity, and uniqueness of design.”
Alongside the ‘Original Air’ sale, Christie's is also holding two further sports-centred auctions in a series titled ‘Gamechangers’. One private showcase, ‘For The Love Of The Game’ which will be open from 20 July to 14 August, and the second will offer works by American sports photographer Walter Iooss Jr. from 23 July to 11 August.
Are Nike Jordans your prized possessions? Visit our site for Jordan Air 1 retros and many others today!
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