A pair of rare Nike Air Jordan 3s made for Spike Lee have sold for more than $50,000 at Sotheby’s after they were discovered earlier this year in the donation chute of a homeless charity in Portland, Oregon.
On Monday, the gold shoes, one of only four to five pairs custom-made for the film director Spike Lee and his inner circle, were auctioned off at Sotheby’s for $50,800. The shoes were originally discovered in April by a participant in Portland Rescue Mission’s long-term shelter program who was sorting through several clothing and shoe donations.
According to the charity, the man noticed a pair of bright gold Air Jordan sneakers at the bottom of one of the donation bins. He went on to set the shoes – which were anonymously donated – aside for the charity’s staff to examine as they were in brand-new condition.
The Nike Air Jordan 3 Retro model, which Lee debuted at the 2019 Academy Awards when he won his first Oscar for BlacKkKlansman, is described by Sotheby’s as featuring premium leather decorated in “an eye-catching metallic gold masking over the Swoosh, elephant print, and tongue, which is contrasted by black, white, and icy blue accents topped with a red liner”.
“The heel comes equipped with bespoke logos that portray Spike’s 40 Acres and A Mule Filmworks production company and an oversized Jumpman insignia. This pair was not released to the public,” it added.
After the shoes’ discovery, Portland Rescue Mission reached out to Sotheby’s, which agreed to auction off the shoes without a seller’s fee, in turn ensuring that 100% of the profit would go to the charity.
Around the same time, the charity reached out to Air Jordan designer Tinker Hatfield, whose name is embroidered on the shoes alongside Lee’s. Hatfield authenticated the shoes and agreed to donate a previously unpublished design concept board of the shoes. He also agreed to donate a replacement box for the shoes and to go to the charity and autograph the memorabilia to contribute to the value of the auction lot, Portland Rescue Mission said.
“I’m thrilled the shoes ended up here. It’s a happy ending to a really great project,” Hatfield told Portland Rescue Mission, which has been serving people struggling with homelessness, addiction and mental health crises since 1949.
In a statement on the Portland Rescue Mission website, Erin Holcomb, the charity’s director of staff ministry, said: “We are so grateful for the way this incredible story has focused the attention on the people we serve at Portland Rescue Mission and the heroic acts of everyday generosity that keep our doors open 24/7/365.”
The donor of the shoes remains anonymous.
