1985 Michael Jordan Game Worn & Period-Signed Chicago Bulls Air Jordan I Rookie Sneakers....

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1985 Michael Jordan Game Worn & Period-Signed Chicago Bulls Air Jordan I Rookie Sneakers. The start of two of the greatest dynasties in basketball history are marked by this exceptional offering, a masterful sculpture of leather and rubber that has become permanently installed in American iconography. Today the design seems charmingly simplistic when compared to the futuristic blend of mysterious polymers utilized to create the latest generation of Air Jordans. But there is no more coveted breed in the universal phenomenon of sneaker collecting that this seminal format inspired.

Of course it goes without saying that the tiny fraction of those Air Jordan I's owned and operated by their endorser occupy the pinnacle of the sneaker hierarchy, placing this offering high on the list of the most desirable basketball shoes ever made available at auction. They were originally acquired by a young fan who accosted the young superstar in his hotel as the Bulls visited the Indiana Pacers late in the season and secured a promise for the shoes after the game. Excerpted from his lengthy, notarized letter of provenance:

"Later on I met him as he got off the team bus at the Hyatt with my uncle Kyle White and friend John Wade as witnesses. When he walked into the lobby, he was swarmed by kids for autographs. I walked up to him and all he said was 'They are in the bag." I unzipped it as it hung over his shoulder then pulled them out. I handed him a marker and he autographed each shoe."

The shoes exhibit solid wear from that April 8, 1985 contest, a 107-103 loss that saw Jordan lead all Bulls with twenty-two (22) points. The sneakers present perfectly and without any damage, the degradation of rubber common in vintage sneakers absent here. Interior ankles are stamped "850102-TYPS." As any Jordan sneaker expert will tell you, this is special coding specific only to Jordan's personal models. Left shoe is marked size 13, the right size 13 1/2, the latter never available in retail format, and the mismatched pair a key Jordan trait. The black sharpie signatures (7/10 average) are clearly an early signature style, the final, ironclad verification of the special tale. Letter of provenance from original owner of shoes. LOA from Heritage Auctions.

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