Michael Jordan-Worn, 'Banned' Nike Air Jordan 1 Could Cost 7 Figures, Experts Claim

Sneaker experts claimed that a pair of Michael Jordan-worn, banned Air Jordan 1 is said to be worth seven figures in bidding.

The Air Jordan 1 is one of the sneakers in the MJ collection that possess a rich history under its name. It became controversial across the globe when the NBA decided to ban the shoes because their colors broke the league's uniform rules. It was reported that Jordan was fined $5,000 by the NBA every time he wore a pair of Jordan 1s during their debut year in 1984.

After three and a half decades, the Air Jordan 1s resurfaced, and it has got the sneakerheads buzzing. the hype of ESPN's “The Last Dance” documentary about Jordan, veteran sports agent Aaron Goodwin, who has been in the sneaker endorsement game for decades, decided to post on Twitter a pair of classic Air Jordan 1s he owns.

Goodwin has not revealed the full story about how it ended up in his possession yet but hinted that he didn’t buy them. The pair has a Jordan autograph, and Goodwin suggested in the post that the precious collection was one of the first pairs Jordan wore back in the day. With Goodwin’s deep connection with sports personalities, even some sneaker experts are convinced that Jordan really wore the said pair.

Complex talked to a few people who trade in sneaker memorabilia and according to them, Goodwin’s Air Jordan 1s could be the most valuable pair on Earth.

Leon Benrimon, a shoe collector who deals in vintage sneakers at sports memorabilia mega-firm Heritage Auctions, put an estimate of the pair's worth at $500,000 minimum. However, he is also positive that it could reach up to a million dollars.

"It could be worth a million, honestly," Benrimon said.

The current world record for the most expensive sneaker belongs to the 1972 Nike Waffle Racing Flat "Moon Shoe," which sold for $437,500 in 2019 via a Sotheby's auction arranged by high-end resell shop Stadium Goods. Ben Jacobs, the brand director at Stadium Goods who spearheaded the Sotheby's sale, thinks the black and red Air Ship Goodwin owns would fetch more than the vintage “Moon Shoe” because of its connection to Jordan.

"You could start there and easily see bidding for this reaching into seven figures," Jacobs predicted.

Prior to the airing of the first episode of “The Last Dance,” Nike dropped the retro Air Jordan 5 in the “Fire Red” colorway. A pair was reportedly retailed at $200 as part of celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. What happened next was something beyond the expected as the marketing campaign didn’t last very long. The Air Jordan 5 went sold out just a few moments before “The Last Dance’s” opening credits.