Michael Jordan 'Broken Foot Game' game-worn Air Jordan 1 (1985)

Oakland, October 29, 1985

Michael Jordan began his second NBA season as the reigning Rookie of the Year. In 1984-85 he had played all 82 games, averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, and his Bulls opened 1985-86 with three straight wins.

The third of those came on October 29, 1985, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena before 11,210 fans. Jordan played 18 minutes, made 6 of 10 shots and scored 12 points, then left the game with a foot injury. Chicago won 111-105 behind 27 points from Orlando Woolridge; Golden State's Sleepy Floyd scored 32.

On November 5, the Chicago Tribune reported that X-rays had revealed a fractured bone in Jordan's left foot and that he would be out at least six weeks. He was out six months. During his 64-game absence the Bulls, 3-0 when he was hurt, went 24-43. (One later report places the fracture in his right foot; contemporary reporting quoted by the seller says left.)

The comeback and the shoes that changed

Jordan returned on March 15, 1986, against the Milwaukee Bucks and played the last 14 regular-season games. Chicago finished 30-52 and was swept 3-0 by Boston in the first round of the playoffs.

In Game 2 of that series, on April 20, 1986, at Boston Garden, Jordan played 53 minutes, made 22 of 41 shots and 19 of 21 free throws and scored 63 points, a playoff scoring record. Boston won 135-131.

Because his foot needed extra protection, Nike made him modified versions of the Air Jordan 1 for his return, including one with a dunk sole, one with a custom strap and a prototype called the Air Jordan 1.5. The seller reports finding photographs of Jordan in a modified version in 13 of his 18 post-injury games, with five games it could neither confirm nor rule out. If he never wore an original pair again, the shoes from October 29 are the last original Air Jordan 1s he wore in an NBA game. The seller calls that 'highly likely,' not certain.

How to read the pair

The shoes are red-and-white Air Jordan 1s with a black Swoosh on each side and black laces, the scheme collectors call 'Chicago.' One report described them as black and red. The left shoe is a 13 and the right a 13.5, the same mismatched sizing found in other Jordan game pairs from 1985.

Printed inside each shoe is 850102-TYPS. The 85 means 1985 and 01 and 02 mean January and February, so the pair was made midway through Jordan's rookie season. That means it may also have been worn during part of 1984-85, but the seller calls that only speculation.

The pair shows real wear: scuffs, loose and frayed threads, peeling around the ankle collar, paint transfers, an aged midsole and some color bleeding.

The evidence tying it to the game is honest about its limits. The seller showed a wire photo from the game, a newspaper photo from the next day and a still from game video. It said the 1985 images were not sharp enough for a conclusive photo match, though several characteristics look similar. The pair carries a third-party letter of authenticity.

From a friend's closet to two auctions

According to the seller, Jordan gave the shoes personally, at the time of the injury, to the father of the original consignor; the two were friends. One report instead says the pair had been kept by the Jordan family before being given to the consignor's father. The family kept them for decades before the son consigned them.

They were first offered in an online sale that ran from January 2 to January 29, 2022, with an opening bid of $250,000 and an estimate of $400,000 to $500,000. Eight bids took the price to $422,130. One trade report rounded the result to $422,000.

Two years later the pair was offered again, in a summer sale from June 9 to June 29, 2024, with a $100,000 opening bid. The lot again carried an estimate of $400,000 to $500,000. It drew eight bids and sold for $168,850.80, including buyer's premium, about 40 percent of the 2022 price.

The numbers

Game

October 29, 1985, Chicago 111 at Golden State 105, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, attendance 11,210

Jordan's line

18 MIN, 6-10 FG, 12 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL

Game leaders

Orlando Woolridge 27 (CHI), Sleepy Floyd 32 (GSW)

1985-86 season

18 G, 22.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.9 APG; Bulls 30-52, swept 3-0 by Boston in the first round

April 20, 1986, at Boston

53 MIN, 22-41 FG, 19-21 FT, 63 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST; Boston won 135-131

Timeline

1. Jan 1985

   The pair is manufactured in the January-to-February 1985 window indicated by its interior code.

2. Apr 1, 1985

   The Air Jordan 1 goes on public sale.

3. Oct 29, 1985

   Jordan scores 12 points in 18 minutes at Golden State before leaving with a foot injury; the Bulls win 111-105.

4. Nov 5, 1985

   X-rays reveal a fractured bone in Jordan's left foot, the Chicago Tribune reports.

5. Mar 15, 1986

   Jordan returns against Milwaukee, in a modified Air Jordan 1.

6. Apr 20, 1986

   Jordan scores 63 points at Boston, a playoff record, in a 135-131 loss.

7. Jan 2, 2022

   The pair is offered at auction with a $250,000 opening bid.

8. Jan 29, 2022

   The sale closes; the pair sells for $422,130 on eight bids.

9. Jun 9, 2024

   The pair is offered again with a $100,000 opening bid.

10. Jun 29, 2024

    The pair sells for $168,850.80 on eight bids.

The world in 1985

• Jul 13, 1985

  Live Aid concerts are staged in Philadelphia and London.

• Sep 11, 1985

  Pete Rose collects his 4,192nd hit to become baseball's all-time hit leader.

• Oct 18, 1985

  The Nintendo Entertainment System goes on sale in U.S. stores.

• Nov 18, 1985

  Calvin and Hobbes first appears, in 35 newspapers.

• Nov 19, 1985

  Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev meet for the first time.

• Nov 20, 1985

  Microsoft releases Windows 1.0.

Price record

A realized auction price is what a buyer actually paid on the date shown, including the buyer's premium where the sale reported it. It is the strongest kind of reference price, and it is a record of one sale of one object on one day, not a promise of what the next example will bring.

By reference price, Michael Jordan 'Broken Foot Game' game-worn Air Jordan 1 (1985) is number 10 of 100 in the sneakers entries of the FLOAT 100. 22 of those 100 rest on a realized sale; the rest carry an asking price or a guide value, and each page says which. Rank within the FLOAT 100 itself (9 here) is editorial: how much an object defines its field, not price alone.

Did you know

• Jordan was first expected to miss six weeks; he missed six months.
• The Bulls were 3-0 when Jordan got hurt and 24-43 while he was out.
• The seller itself said the 1985 photos were not sharp enough for a conclusive photo match.
• On his return Jordan wore modified Air Jordan 1s, including a version with a strap and a prototype known as the Air Jordan 1.5.
• The pair sold for $422,130 in 2022 and $168,850.80 in 2024.
• Less than six months after this game was over, Jordan scored 63 points in a playoff game at Boston.