Andrew Rizzo Sports memorabilia auction house Grey Flannel just listed what could potentially become one of the most expensive Jordans ever sold; an Air Jordan 1 “Bred” prototype with “Air Jordan” text in place of Wings logos on the lateral collars.
Notably, that same retro branding appears on the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe Reimagined” dropping later this year, evoking a pair worn in a now famous 1984 Jordan Brand ad campaign shot before the model’s public release.
Grey Flannel can’t trace the shoe’s exact origin due to the insufficient quality of older images, but indications suggest they may have been worn by the man himself. The left sneaker is a size 13 and the right is a size 13.5, matching Jordan’s specifications throughout his playing days.
Moreover, the seller’s story sounds promising. He states: “This pair of Air Jordan prototype samples were gifted to me from my college basketball coach in Portland OR, late in 1984. They were given to him directly from Nike, for allowing Nike’s Jordan shoe creator team to test out different styles of Jordan shoes on some of his athletes. They have been properly kept and stored for 40 years, and have never been displayed.”
Regardless of the shoe’s origin story, they’re undisputedly one of the earliest Jordans ever produced and will likely become the oldest pair sold publicly upon the conclusion of the auction. Online bidding starts at $25,000 on May 20th, and it’s possible these could become one of the most expensive Jordans ever sold when it’s all said and done.
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- Air Jordan 1 “Bred” Prototype Grey Flannels
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- Air Jordan 1 “Bred” Prototype Grey Flannels
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- Air Jordan 1 “Bred” Prototype Grey Flannels
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- Air Jordan 1 “Bred” Prototype Grey Flannels
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- Air Jordan 1 “Bred” Prototype Grey Flannels
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- Air Jordan 1 “Bred” Prototype Grey Flannels
