Custom Air Jordans, Designed for Spike Lee and Valued up to $20K, Found in Shelter Donation Bin

A pair of gold Nike Air Jordan 3’s, valued between $15–20K, were found in an Oregon shelter’s donation bin. After a brief investigation, it was determined that the shoes had been custom-made for filmmaker Spike Lee to wear to the 2019 Oscars, the year he won a trophy for BlacKkKlansman. Now, they’re up for auction by Sotheby’s until December 18.

In April, a volunteer at Burnside Shelter was parsing through several large tubs of clothing donations when they came across the sneakers. Because they were in “pristine” condition, the volunteer brought them to Portland Rescue Mission staff for further appraisal.

Eventually, word got around and the shoe's designer, Nike maestro Tinker Hatfield, visited the shelter in person to authenticate the sneakers. Hatfield brought with him the original designs for Lee’s custom kicks, including a framed proof, along with a replacement box, all of which he signed. Those items are also included in the auction lot, along with a letter from James Spence Authentication which certifies the signatures.

“I’m thrilled the shoes ended up here,” Hatfield told employees at the shelter. “It’s a really happy ending to a great project.”

The size 12 ½ shoes are made from premium leather colored in a luscious metallic gold and complimented with an elephant-printed tongue along with a red liner. Black, white, and icy blue accents add a bit of depth. On the heel is the logo for Lee’s production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, as well as an oversized Jumpman.

Lee has had a fruitful collaboration with Nike and Air Jordan dating back to the late ‘80s, when the She’s Gotta Have It filmmaker teamed up with Michael Jordan himself for the famous “Spike and Mike” campaign. Their relationship gave way to a full-on collaboration in 2006 with the Air Jordan Spiz’ike.

Lee’s outfit at the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony was one of the more talked-about aspects of the evening. He paired the custom gold Jordans with a purple Ozwald Boateng suit and matching cap. That night, he gave a powerful and charged speech while accepting the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for BlacKkKlansman. A few hours later, when Green Book was controversially named Best Picture, Lee memorably stormed out of the ceremony.

Sotheby’s is running their Spike Lee x Air Jordan 3 “Gold Oscars” PE auction through December 18. You can register to bid here.