1985 Michael Jordan Game Worn Chicago Bulls Air Jordan I Rookie Sneakers....

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Worn in March 5, 1985 victory over Washington Bullets!

1985 Michael Jordan Game Worn 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 not a 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 watched the Bulls' March 5, 1985 meeting with the Washington Bullets at Chicago Stadium. With his brother beside him, the boy cheered the thrilling young rookie point guard from UNC as he drained twelve field goals and thirteen free throws to put up thirty-seven of the Bulls' points in a 104 to 99 victory over the visiting Washington Bullets.

As the detailed letter of provenance from the fan explains, the brothers set off for the player parking lot after the game in the hopes of getting an autograph from the star rookie. From a distance, they saw Jordan beside his BMW and speaking with a man with whom he appeared to already be familiar. Jordan popped the trunk of his car and unzipped his equipment bag, retrieving this pair of sneakers and handing them to the man. Jordan then drove off, leaving the brothers disappointed.

The pair returned to their family's car in general parking and began the drive home when one of them spotted the man with the shoes walking down the street. They pulled over and offered to purchase them, successfully negotiating a price that today would seem absolutely paltry when considering the future that awaited Michael Jordan.

Nearly thirty years later, the brothers' turn of good fortune will be passed on to a new owner. The shoes exhibit solid wear and present perfectly, with the padding in the ankles having turned crunchy over the decades but having no effect upon aesthetics. The degradation of rubber common in vintage sneakers is absent here as well. Interior ankles are stamped "13 850101-TYPS." As any Jordan sneaker expert will tell you, this is special coding specific only to Jordan's personal models, validating the brothers' remarkable story. Letter of provenance from original buyer of shoes. LOA from Heritage Auctions.