Michael Jordan‘s game-worn Air Jordan IX baseball cleats will be up for grabs in December as part of Infinite Auctions’ Winter Auction, with bets anticipated to reach six-figures. They are photo-matched to the time he spent playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions, the Arizona Fall League affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.
The Air Jordan IX is one of many shoes that shows up in the Michael Jordan-focused Netflix docuseries “The Last Dance”; among many eras of his life, the show addressed his 1994 transition from basketball to baseball.
The shoes are the first photo-matched pair from his baseball career to go up for auction; Real Game Used (RGU) authenticated the pair using a cutting edge AI-assisted photo matching process. Just about six pairs of Air Jordan IX cleats from Jordan’s short-lived professional baseball career are known to exist, meaning memorabilia from this time period is especially rare and desirable.
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“These Air Jordan IX cleats are more than just a piece of game-used memorabilia; they’re a crossover collectible that appeals to both sneakerheads and sports historians alike,” said Marshall Perkins, CEO of Infinite Auctions. “With their photo-match authentication tying them to specific games during Jordan’s time with the Scottsdale Scorpions, this pair is truly one-of-a-kind.”
Though he’s long since retired from playing professional sports, Michael Jordan’s impact on baseball perpetuates. Jordan Brand continues to make baseball cleats which are popular amongst the pros. During the MLB All-Star Game that took place in July 2024, three MLB players — Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and William Contreras — wore the Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” cleats. In another example, Mookie Betts wore the Air Jordan 1 Cleat PE at the 2023 Home Run Derby.
