Sotheby's to Auction Michael Jordan's Dynasty Collection of Six Air Jordans

Sotheby's New York will auction a unique set of six game-worn and autographed Air Jordan sneakers from Michael Jordan's championship seasons, known as the "Dynasty Collection," on February 3, 2024. The lot includes single shoes (right or left, size 13 or 13.5) from the Bulls' victorious NBA Finals in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1998, gifted by Jordan to former Bulls PR director Tim Hallam. Estimated at $7–10 million, it is the most valuable sports memorabilia collection ever offered. The sale is part of Sotheby's online auction "The One." The article, part of artpress's "Art & Sport" series for the Paris 2024 Olympics, explores the intersection of sports, sneaker culture, and high-end auctions. It traces the Air Jordan phenomenon from its 1985 debut, the NBA ban and $5,000 fines that fueled its rebellious appeal, to the creation of Jordan's Jumpman logo by Peter Moore from a Jacobus Rentmeester photo for Life magazine. The piece also discusses the broader "drop culture" of limited-edition sneakers, pioneered by Supreme and adopted by luxury brands like Gucci, Vuitton, Dior, Burberry, and Off-White, and the shift from "personal shopper" to "personal retailer" driven by exclusivity and invisibility.