Early Air Jordan 1 'Black Toe' Prototype Hits eBay
Hopefully you recently won the lottery, because one of the most important sneakers in the legacy has just gone under the hammer. The prototype in 'Black Toe' has been listed on eBay with a staggering $50k starting bid. Tagged with a 14 November 1984 production date, the sample was manufactured just months into Jordan's NBA career and is alleged to be part of the first batch ever wore on court.
As a prototype, the sneaker features a number of cosmetic differences compared with the production version released to the public the following year. The prototype features a lower toe box, higher-quality textured leather upper, pointer and enlarged Swooshes, and most noticeably a black tongue compared to the colourway's now-standard white tongue. The shoe also appears to feature hand-pressed 'Wings' logos compared to the machine-stamped logos of the production version. Curiously, the sample tag states the shoe's model as 'Air Force' and states its mould as 'Air Force II'. An added remark callthe 'Jordan Pro BB.'
Even with the high price tag, only the right shoe is up for grabs, and in Jordan's usual size 13.5 US. The shoe was unearthed in the mid-90s at the office of ProServ, the sports marketing firm that inked the GOAT's original contract with Nike.
If you aren't scared off by the thought of dropping $50k (or more!) on a single unwearable shoe, then head on over to and get your bid in before the hammer falls.
Ten per cent of proceeds will be donated to nonprofit organisation Best Buddies International, 'the world’s largest organisation dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.'