Sneakerheads worldwide are likely standing in awe to find out that an unreleased version of Air Jordan 13s has made it off Michael Jordan’s feet and onto the auction stage.
Worn during Jordan’s final playoff run in the 1998 NBA Finals, the version of the shoe was never released to the public — but some lucky patron could be the owner of the one-of-one shoe.
A Rare Occurrence
It is no secret that Jordan rocked his branded shoes throughout most of his career. From the popular Jordan 1 to the Air Jordan 14, MJ was intentional in representing his brand identity.
According to Boardroom, Jordan wore the Jordan 13 in all 82 regular-season games of the 1997-1998 NBA season. The only exception was during his last away game against the New York Knicks, dawning the original Jordan 1.
As the official tester of his shoes, Jordan typically had versions of the brand made for him before reaching the public. However, many prototypes were not worn until the shoe was officially announced and scheduled for release. This all changed with the Air Jordan 13 Low PE.
When wearing them, Jordan was the only person ever to have the shoe in his possession. Soon, someone else will have that honor.
The Prototype
Recently, Christie’s displayed the game-worn shoes on their site for auction. The version of the Air Jordan 13 is described to be lighter and lower than the version that was released to the public. Based on its description, this shoe prototype is among the scarcest sneakers in the legend’s loaded catalog.
The NBA legend wore the shoe in Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals against Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz.
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The shoe is now being sold after over two decades in the archives. The bidding is scheduled to begin at $300,000 and is estimated to have a final price between $500,000 and $750,000.
Jordan Brand Is Still Strong
While Jordan has been out of the league for some time now, his impact on the culture has been reflected off-court for many years. This impact includes collaboration and creative colorways of the various version of Air Jordans.
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Next up in the Air Jordan update is a new version of the Air Jordan 7. Coming up on the 30th anniversary of the shoe, the Jordan brand is preparing the Air Jordan 37 in a heritage colorway inspired by one of the most popular originals, according to Complex Sneakers.
