As the world gears up for the long awaited 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Sotheby’s is celebrating by offering an online auction of “The Olympic Collection.” Bidders will get the chance to buy a variety of legendary sports memorabilia and collectibles that have been archived from different decades of the Olympic Games’ legendary history.
While there’s more than 50 lots to choose from, it comes at no surprise that Michael Jordan’s Olympic Trials sneakers are stealing the show. Jordan’s personal pair of 1984 Converse Fastbreaks are the item that everyone is trying to get their hands on, with an expected bid of anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000.
Sotheby’s auction will also be offering another fascinating piece of history with a pair of track spikes handmade by Nike co-founder, Bill Bowerman. The track spikes date back to the 1960s and include a prototype logo of Nike’s legendary Swoosh. At the time, Bowerman had made the spikes for Canadian Track and Field Sprinter, Harry Jerome. There’s no official information as to how much the bid will be starting at, but experts estimate that the spikes are set to reach $1,200,000.
For more recent sports history, the auction will also include Vince Carter’s olympic jersey as well as a signed pair of Michael Johnson’s “Gold Shoes.” Johnson’s golden shoes carried him to win two Gold medals at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics and deemed him as “The Man with the Golden Shoes.” A full list of memorabilia will be available in coming days, but Sotheby’s confirms that you can expect flags, cards, magazines, and worn deadstock sneakers.
Bidding will officially begin on July 23, 2021 on Sothebys.com, coinciding with the opening ceremony of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. For more history lessons on sports, sneakers, and culture, follow @nicekicksvault on Instagram.
