Basketball icon Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 13 sneakers from the 1998 NBA Finals went for $2.2 million at auction. Sotheby’s, an auction company, claims that the sneakers from the historic season known as Michael Jordan’s “Last Dance” are currently the most valuable sports shoes ever sold.

The ultimate sale on Tuesday, which brought in $2.2 million, was far less than the $4 million high that Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate had projected to be the low end. The auction company claims that the shoes are “the only complete pair of sneakers worn by Michael in an NBA Finals game” that have ever been verified by the NBA’s official authenticator.

Kanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy 1s set a previous record for the highest price at auction when they sold for $1.8 million. These shoes were also the first to sell for more than $1 million.

At auction, Jordan’s value as a player is unmatched; other pieces of sportswear memorabilia can get upwards of $300,000 dollars. In another sports memorabilia category, a “Last Dance” jersey broke the previous record last year when it sold for $10.1 million.

 

Michael Jordan’s reputation as one of the most significant players, businesspeople, and pop culture giants of our time is amply demonstrated by this transaction, according to a statement from Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles.

 

In the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals in 1998, Jordan donned the sneakers, scoring 37 points in 40 minutes to help the Chicago Bulls defeat the Utah Jazz. According to Sotheby’s, he signed his sneakers after the game and donated them to a ball boy who had discovered and given back Jordan’s jacket during a previous practice.

“What differentiates these record-breaking sneakers is their condition. They are immaculate, as if Jordan laced them up and wore them yesterday,” Wachter said.

The black and red Air Jordans featuring the Bulls colors were banned by the NBA, which fined Jordan $5,000 at each game he wore them in violation of the league’s strict uniform code. That gave the shoes — also known as “Breds” — a mythic status among fans. The pair Sotheby’s auctioned off were the last Breds Jordan ever wore in an NBA game.

Today, Jordan owns the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and earns millions of dollars in royalties from Nike Air Jordan sales.