To celebrate the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Sotheby’s is gearing up to launch an online auction, dubbed “The Olympic Collection,” featuring a range of rare memorabilia and collectibles spotlighting historic achievements across the Games’ decades-spanning archive.
Open for bidding on July 23, in tandem with the commencement of this year’s Games, the auction offers more than 50 lots, though two momentous pieces claim center stage: a pair of Converse Fastbreak sneakers worn by Michael Jordan during the 1984 Olympic Trials and a pair of “Prototype Logo” track spikes handmade by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman for Canadian Track and Field sprinter Harry Jerome in the 1960s. The former is expected to garner between $80,000 USD and $100,000 USD, while the latter is estimated to achieve between $800,000 USD and $1,200,000 USD.
The auction also contains Michael Johnson‘s “Gold Shoes” (both worn and signed), which were responsible for his famous nickname “The Name With the Golden Shoes,” as well as Vince Carter‘s game-worn Olympic jersey and shorts. The full contents of the sale will be revealed at a later date, but Sotheby’s confirms that there will be a multitude of worn and deadstock sneakers, flags, cards and magazines included in the sale.
Highlights from the auction will be on display in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries in New York City ahead of the auction’s debut, from July 8 through July 14.
Elsewhere on auction, a Picasso painting found in a man’s closet sold for $150,000 USD.
