A Pair of Michael Jordan Game-Worn Air Jordan 9s From His Minor League Stint Are Up For Auction

Michael Jordan shocked the world in 1994 when he hung up his basketball sneakers and Bulls jersey for cleats and a baseball bat, joining the Birmingham Barons, the minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. This baseball stint has become a legendary moment in MJ’s career, sandwiched between his two three-peat championships with the Bulls and taking place during the release of the Air Jordan 9. Now, a piece of MJ history is up for auction as a game-worn Air Jordan 9 cleat from Jordan’s time has appeared via Infinite Auctions.

The colorway pictured is a player-exclusive that was never released to the public, at least in standard Air Jordan 9 form. We did, however, get this elusive colorway on the Air Jordan 9 Low Golf last year, albeit without the cleated sole unit and number 45 embroidery seen here on this game-worn pair. An all-black upper accented by white details on the laces, Air Jordan logo, and sockliner come paired with a white cleated outsole.

Obvious signs of wear are present, as MJ wore the cleats in multiple games for the Barons and the Scottsdale Scorpions, the latter being a team in the MLB’s Arizona Fall League. According to Infinite Auctions, this is the first-ever auction of photo-matched cleats from MJ’s baseball career.

As of this writing, the bid for these game-worn cleats is at $11,000, with 29 days left on the bidding. According to the auction house, the estimated value is between $65,000 and $125,000. Check below for detailed images of the cleats, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying new restaurants, and catching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when not writing for Sole Retriever. Email: nick@soleretriever.com