A pair of striking gold Nike Air Jordan 3 sneakers ended up in a donation bin at the Portland Rescue Mission in Oregon in 2023, where staff initially suspected they were counterfeit. The shoes had been anonymously donated and were discovered by James Free, a man participating in the shelter's long-term programme, while he was sorting through donated items. Their unusual appearance eventually prompted staff to seek expert authentication. The sneakers turned out to be part of a tiny batch of custom Air Jordan 3s created by Nike designer Tinker Hatfield for filmmaker Spike Lee and people in his inner circle. After being authenticated, the rare shoes were put up for auction by Sotheby's and sold for $50,800 in December 2023.
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