High Flyers! Jordan's 'Space Jam' Shoes Sell for $176K

During his basketball career, Michael Jordan was famous for being a high flyer, seemingly able to take flight on the court. Now his basketball shoes are doing the same thing at auction.

An autographed, ultra-rare pair of Air Jordan basketball shoes, made specifically for Jordan to commemorate his role in the popular mid-1990s movie Space Jam, soared to new heights, selling for $176,400 recently at Sotheby’s.

One-of-a-kind Air Jordan basketball shoes commemorating ‘Space Jam’ sell for $176,400. The pair was presented in a custom wood and velvet box with classic “Tune Squad” branding laser-etched on the inside of the lid. Pre-auction estimate was between $150,000-$200,000.

Image courtesy Sotheby’s

The size-13, one-of-a-kind Nikes are autographed by Jordan. The shoes are considered “deadstock,” meaning they were never worn. The shoes are a “player sample” made specifically for Jordan, who wore the style during the 1996 NBA playoffs, leading the Chicago Bulls to the championship.

“This pair is truly a grail for many sneaker collectors worldwide,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectables, said in a statement. “This pair has been kept in absolutely perfect condition to this day.”

Space Jam was a box-office hit in 1996, pulling in $250 million.

Image courtesy Heritage Auctions

Released in 1996, Space Jam, part animation, part live action, became an enduring sports comedy starring Jordan and a host of Warner Bros. cartoon stars including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Tweety and Sylvester, the Tazmanian Devil, Yosemite Sam and Foghorn Leghorn. Other professional basketball players such as Patrick Ewing, Muggsy Bogues and Charles Barkley have prominent cameos. Bill Murray’s there, too. The film made more than $250 million during its release and remains a nostalgic and cultural phenomenon.