Signed 1985 Air Jordan 1 ‘Chicago’ Player Sample Hits the Auction Block at Sotheby’s

Getting your hands on your sneaker grail is one thing, but taking home a slice of sneaker history is a whole different ball game. With sneakers being some of the most sought-after bits of sports memorabilia going, we’re always alert to when pairs pop up at auction houses, and now is getting ready to auction off a pair of unworn 1985 ‘Chicago’ marked with a super clean, authenticated signature on the left shoe’s tongue.

Forming part of the auction house’s ‘Genesis’ collection, the pair of Chicagos are listed as an ‘unworn player sample’, although their slightly mismatched sizing corresponds to what MJ rocked on the court. The pair is also marked with ‘850204TYPS’, which references the production date and the factory that produced the player sample. Air Jordan 1 samples were only ever produced for Michael Jordan.

As far as the condition goes, the Jays show minimal damage and very little oxidisation, and according to the auction house, the owner has never taken them out of the box.

As expected, the player sample AJ1 ‘Chicago’ doesn’t exactly come cheap: Sotheby’s are estimating that the pair will sell for between $80,000 – $120,000. You can sign up to bid here if you’re feeling flush.