Last April, volunteers at the Burnside Shelter in Oregon made a discovery that, if not sensational, was certainly interesting. In the donation dumpster lay a pair of shoes that were more unique than rare: the golden Air Jordan 3s. The shoe was produced in 2019 for the Oscars exclusively for Spike Lee and his inner circle. You may recall the moment when Lee rejoiced on the Academy stage while receiving the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman. Well, at that very moment, the director of Malcolm X was wearing the eccentric Air Jordan 3s designed by Tinker Hatfield. A few days ago, the pair found in the Burnside Shelter dumpster was auctioned by Sotheby’s for over $50,000. But let’s delve into more details about this shoe and the story of how it ended up at auction.
The discovery
At the shelter managed by the Portland Rescue Mission, when the shoes were initially found, some believed they might be fake. However, certain features, such as Lee’s production company logo – Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks – and the embroidery of the director’s and Tinker Hatfield’s names, dispelled any doubts. After a brief stop at a sneaker resell store, Erin Holcomb, the shelter’s director, decided to contact Sotheby’s, which included the golden Jordans in the auction held on December 18th, the Geoff Hollister’s ‘Nike 1’ License Plate auction. The lots in this auction were all very special pieces that traced the history of the American brand. There was even the license plate of the van with which Hollister – the third employee of Blue Ribbon Sports, later becoming Nike – used to go around selling running shoes and many other sneakers, not just that.
A story with a happy ending
The estimated value of the lot ranged from $15,000 to $20,000, eventually closing with a winning bid of $50,800 after some last-minute bids. But the story doesn’t end there because Sotheby’s did not retain any percentage, ensuring that all the money went to the Portland Rescue Mission. The donor’s identity remains a mystery, as the donation was made through the shelter’s slide, but this happy ending story serves as a testament to the unbreakable bond between Spike Lee and Nike.
