First a note on this list. The vast majority of the most expensive sneakers ever sold are game worn Air Jordans. As a result, this list will only include the most expensive pair of Air Jordans ever sold so other shoes could be included on the list. With that said, here are some of the most expensive sneakers to ever be sold.
9. Converse Fastbreak Mid – $190,000
Michael Jordan will always be associated with Nike but in the summer before he would enter the NBA, the future Chicago Bulls superstar would wear Converse Fastbreaks during the 1984 Olympics. This pair, worn by Jordan in the gold medal game, sold in 2017.
8. adidas EQT Top Ten $192,000
While Kobe Bryant would eventually become an all-time icon he began his career by wearing adidas shoes, eventually getting his own signature shoe, the KB8. Prior to that, he wore this and a pair of 1996 game worn EQT Top Tens from Bryant sold for $192,000 in 2021.
7. Nike Air Mag Auto Lace – $200,000
After sneakerheads dreamed for years about Nike actually making the self-lacing sneakers from Back to the Future, they finally made one pair. That pair was auctioned off by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and fetched 200 grand.
6. Nike Air Zoom Generations – $222,000
LeBron James would sign a deal with Nike early into his rookie season, but he was wearing the Air Zoom Generation before he got his own signature shoe. This particular pair was on King James’ feet when he played in his second career game against the Phoenix Suns.
5. Track Shoes Handmade by Bill Bowerman – $315,000
Nike has long been a global phenomenon and collectors are eager to snap up anything from the company’s early history. That was proven true when this prototype paid, made by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman for Track and Field star Henry Jerome sold for more than $300K at auction.
4. Nike Louis Vuitton Air Force 1’s – $352,000
Nike and Louis Vuitton collaborated on 200 pairs of Air Force 1’s inlayed with Louis Vuitton leather and offered the shoes at auction at Sotheby’s. The shoes sold for between $75K and $352,000 with the most expensive pair being Lot #1 and a size 5.
3. Nike Moon Shoes – $437,500
An incredibly rare piece of Nike history, these “Moon” shoes were one of the pairs sewn together for the 1972 Olympic trials. The soles were even molded from a waffle iron. The pair was offered by Sotheby’s and sold for an astonishing $437.500.
2. Nike Air Yeezy 1 (Prototype) – $1.8 Million
During the 2008 Grammy’s Kanye West sported a pair of shoes that had a Nike Swoosh, but were otherwise unidentifiable. These event worn shoes which represented the debut of a wildly successful fashion brand, sold for $1.8 million dollars.
1. Air Jordan 13 – $2.2 Million
Not only was this pair of Air Jordan’s worn in a game, they were worn in game two of the 1998 NBA Finals where Jordan scored 37 points and the Bulls won. The sneakers were given to a Jazz ball boy who worked in the visitors locker room and they were sold at Sotheby’s in 2023.