Michael Jordan's Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers sell for a whopping $560,000

The sneakers that basketball legend Michael Jordan wore in 1985 sold for a whopping $560,000 (£463,000) through an online auction. The pair of sneakers had the NBA legend's autograph on it.

Jordan wore the Nike Air Jordan 1s during his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls. Before going into auction, the sneakers were expected to raise anywhere between $100,00-$150,000 at Sotheby's. However, the eventual price surprised many as it broke several records.

The previous record belonged to a pair of Nike 1972 Moon Shoes, which were sold for $437,500.

It is well known that during his playing days, Jordan wore mismatched sneakers. He wore a size 13 on his left shoe and a size 13.5 on the right.

Jordan Geller, the founder of the sneaker museum "Shoezeum" in Las Vegas, conducted the auction of the Air Jordan 1s.

The sale of the sneakers coincided with the Netflix documentary, "The Last Dance," a 10-part documentary series which showcased the last season of the Chicago Bulls' dynasty. Their reign ended after winning their sixth NBA championship in the 1997-98 season when the team got dismantled.

In a recent interview, Jordan said that he was willing to sign an extended one-year contract to repeat the historic feat once again with the Bulls.

He said, "If you asked all the guys who won in '98 ... 'We'll give you a one-year contract to try for a seventh,' you think they would've signed? Yes, they would've signed. Would I have signed for one year? Yes, I would've signed for one year. I've been signing one-year contracts up to that."

The groundwork for the 1997-98 season was laid even before the season started. Bulls' general manager Jerry Krause told Phil Jackson that the 1997-98 season would be the latter's last as the team's head coach. That's why the documentary series is dubbed "The Last Dance." ESPN reports that the team played that season with the knowledge that in the end, they would break up.

Krause had spoken in public about Jackson's fate, while rumours regarding Jordan's retirement were in the air.

When the season finally ended, Jackson stepped away from the game, and Jordan temporarily retired. The Chicago Bulls began rebuilding its team and an era came to an end.