Skip to main content

Michael Jordan’s Nike Air Ship Shoes Elevate Auction Record

Michael Jordan Air Ships that sold for over $1.4 million at a Las Vegas auction.
Michael Jordan Air Ships that sold for over $1.4 million at a Las Vegas auction. Image used with permission by copyright holder

Marketers, designers, and sneakerheads have helped elevate shoe collecting to high art. This past Sunday, one of the industry’s masterpieces sold for upwards of $1.4 million.

Recommended Videos

White and red leather Nike Air Ships, Michael Jordan’s earliest game-worn professional high-tops to surface at market, sold for $1,472,000 at a luxury sale in Las Vegas, setting a new record price at auction. Featuring Nike’s iconic swoosh, Nick Fiorella, a well-known collector, purchased the kicks. It is the highest sum ever paid for any sports game-worn footwear and smashes last year’s record $615,000 sale for another pair of game-worn Jordan sneakers. Like any icon worth its place in history, these trainers are shrouded in myth and mistruth.

This pair of Air Ships were a gift from Jordan to Denver ball boy ‘TJ’ Lewis following the Bulls vs. Nuggets game on Nov. 1, 1984. This was the same year that Jordan and Nike began a long-running collaboration on a range of shoes and clothes. Nike gave the rookie his own signature line of shoes and clothes, which was pivotal in signing Jordan. This was Nike’s first foray into endorsement, which paved the way for today’s endless player collaborations. 

David Falk, the shooting guard’s agent, coined the term “Air Jordan” because Nike shoes had air in the soles, and to describe the air up there in Jordan’s stratosphere. Before Nike designer Peter Moore sat down with a young Jordan to create the Air Jordan 1, a shoe that would become the sneakerhead Holy Grail, Nike supplied Jordan with Air Ships — in red and white and black and red versions. 

On Feb. 15, 1985, the NBA submitted a letter to Nike Vice President Rob Strasse stating that the red and black shoe that Jordan was wearing the previous Oct. 18 was against league decorum. NBA policy required each player to wear shoes matching teammates and team colors. Jordan being Jordan, he continued to wear the shoes and to get fined $5,000 for each instance. 

Hence, the Air Jordan 1 was deemed to be “banned,” kicking off one of the most successful ad campaigns of all time and ushering in a revolution for the shoe world. Early orders brought in over $55 million for Nike, and, after the brand projected selling 100,000 units, sold between 3 and 4 million pairs in just the first year of the shoes’ release. 

Related Guides

While it is generally accepted now that the Air Ship was the real banned sneaker, Jordan has stuck with the apocryphal version of the banned Air Jordans over the last 30 years.

The auctioned white and red leather pre-Air Jordan high-tops also carry a peculiar detail on the heel. In most examples, the back of the shoes show a “Nike Air” decal. On this particular pair, though, they just say “Air.” In very early games, Michael can be seen wearing this unusual model.

In history’s circular shape, it is fitting that the shoes that kicked off an entire footwear revolution should now be the most expensive sold. Resale and sneaker specialist sites that allow collectors to trade “player exclusives” and limited-edition shoes has fueled a global sneaker resale market valued at $6 billion in 2019, and forecast to be worth $30 billion by 2030.

While sneakers were once considered a dirty word in fashion circles, sports-inspired footwear is now a leading luxury category with celebrities sporting exclusive versions on catwalks and red carpets, affirming secondhand sneakers as rivals to fine art.

For history’s sake, you can check out the original Banned ad here:

Watch Now

Read More: A$AP Nast and Lacoste’s Exclusive L001 Lux Sneaker

Matthew Denis
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
Graphpaper and PUMA elevate the Speedcat Plus in a monochrome triple-leather
PUMA's Speedcat sneaker gets a minimalist upgrade
puma speedcat sneaker

In the last couple of seasons, PUMA’s Speedcat silhouette has slowly become the brand’s answer to Adidas’ Samba and Nike’s Cortez revival. As the other brands continue to reinvent and reimagine some of their iconic sneakers, PUMA has taken to designs like the Speedcat for another pass through the spotlight. As the sneaker continues to reach a new audience with playful prints and textures, the brand hasn’t slowed down on releasing new iterations of the classic sneaker. In their latest collaboration on the Speedcat, PUMA has joined forces with Japanese label Graphpaper for a pared-down and subtle take on the sneaker that’s equally as retro as it is elevated. While this partnership takes on the Speedcat Plus, the silhouette’s more statement version, the iconic shape and style of the original Speedcat remains, with remnants of its racing past still visible.

Graphpaper gives PUMA’s Speedcat Plus a luxe makeover

Read more
Zenith’s space-forged chronograph goes worldwide
Zenith's Space-Forged Chronograph Expands
CHRONOMASTER SPORT METEORITE

Zenith has expanded global availability for its Chronomaster Sport Meteorite, a timepiece featuring authentic space fragments integrated into the dial.
Previously exclusive to Japan, the 41mm chronograph now reaches international markets through Zenith boutiques and authorized retailers at $17,500. Each watch incorporates a dial crafted from genuine meteorite that traveled through space for millions of years before reaching Earth and Zenith's Le Locle facilities.
The meteorite dials showcase the Widmanstätten pattern, a geometric formation created when molten iron cools gradually in space's vacuum. Hand-finishing reveals these cosmic crystalline structures, ensuring each dial remains unique. Against this extraterrestrial backdrop, Zenith's signature tri-color chronograph counters in silver, light grey, and anthracite create visual contrast with circular azuré finishing.
The stainless steel case preserves the design language of Zenith's 1969 A386 chronograph while incorporating contemporary elements like a black ceramic bezel marked with 10-second graduations. Pump-style pushers and modern proportions blend heritage aesthetics with current styling, while 10 ATM water resistance ensures daily practicality.
The timepiece houses Zenith's El Primero 3600 movement, the latest iteration of the brand's high-frequency chronograph caliber that earned the 2021 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève "Chronograph" award. Operating at 5 Hz with a silicon escape wheel, the movement achieves 1/10th second precision with the chronograph hand completing full rotations every 10 seconds.
The caliber provides 60 hours of power reserve and displays refined decoration through the sapphire caseback, including a blue column wheel, horizontal clutch, and openworked rotor featuring the Zenith star emblem.
The package includes both an integrated steel bracelet and black rubber strap for wearing versatility.

Read more
Isotope’s new OVNI Jumping Hour is a retro-futuristic marvel
The Isotope OVNI Jumping Hour is a retro-futuristic masterpiece
OVNI JUMPING HOUR (FOUNDERS EDITION)

In the dynamic sphere of independent horology, where creativity is the ultimate currency, Isotope Watches has consistently distinguished itself through audacious design and mechanical playfulness. The British microbrand’s recent release, the OVNI Jumping Hour Founder’s Edition, is a triumphant culmination of this philosophy, offering a retro-futuristic spectacle that captivates the collector’s imagination just in time to commemorate the brand's 10th anniversary. This timepiece goes beyond the conventional to become a wearable sculpture, a conversation piece that masterfully blends mid-century modern flair with contemporary horological ingenuity, proving that true luxury resides in bold individuality and intellectual design.

A dial of profound complexity and whimsical charm

Read more