11 of the most expensive sneakers in history, from Kanye ‘Ye’ West’s Grammy-worn Nike Air Yeezys to Michael Jordan’s game-worn kicks and Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton Air Force Ones
- Jordan’s debut season game-worn Air Ships – which predate his Air Jordan shoes – are among most expensive in history, ahead of several other pairs he played in
- Back To The Future II self-lacing kicks, Virgil Abloh’s recent Louis Vuitton x Air Force 1s and Nike Air Yeezy samples fetched princely sums at auctions by Sotheby’s and more
Read on for a truly head-spinning mix of holy grail trainers sold for dizzying sums of money, ranked by price tag …
11. Nike MAG self-lacing Back to the Future II – US$104,000
The self-lacing Nike MAG is quite possibly the rarest and most desirable trainer ever made. Based on Marty McFly’s attire from Back To The Future II, these cool kicks were initially released in 2011 and again on October 21, 2015 – the date Marty and Doc travelled to in the 1989 film.
Nike raffled off 89 pairs, with tickets to enter costing US$10 each and all proceeds going toward the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research.
10. 1997 Air Jordan 12 Flu Game – US$$105,000
Twenty-five years ago, the “flu game” became one of Michael Jordan’s career-defining moments. His iconic Air Jordan 12s worn that night were gifted to Utah Jazz ball boy Preston Truman, who sold them for a then world record fee back in 2013. Over the years, the game-worn red and black trainers featuring Jordan’s autograph have received a hefty price tag – and cult status.
9. 1992 game-worn Air Jordan 7 Olympic – US$$113,000
The 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” was one of the greatest sports teams ever assembled. These are the shoes worn by Jordan during that historic run when the US team won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The team set a record by defeating its eight opponents by an average of 44 points. “MJ” signed the pair and gifted it to a staffer on the team.