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Rare Pair Of All-Gold Nike Air Jordans Donated To Portland Homeless Shelter Anonymously
RARE PAIR OF ALL-GOLD NIKE AIR JORDANS DONATED TO PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTER ANONYMOUSLY
Just before Christmas 2023, a very kind but anonymous donor placed a pair of extremely rare all-gold Nike Air Jordans in the donation box at the Portland Rescue Mission's Burnside shelter in Oregon. After discovering the donated sneakers, James Free—a man who was once homeless and is currently employed by the shelter—set them aside. The director of the shelter, Erin Holcomb, told CNN that upon first glance, she believed they were copies. They were, in fact, the real thing, as she learned from a nearby store.
Erin explained, "So we thought, ‘Wow, what amazing replicas.’ In my head, I thought, ‘Maybe we can sell them on eBay for $100…I was absolutely shocked because I wouldn’t have ever in a million years imagined that those would have ended up in our donations bin. But obviously, I was thrilled and amazed."
After getting in touch with Sotheby's in New York City, Holcomb set up an auction for the shoes, which ultimately brought in an astounding $50,800. The anonymous donation ultimately proved to be extremely helpful for Holcomb's shelter clients. "Whoever it was that purchased them, I think really created a beautiful ending to an amazing story and we’re so thankful, thankful to the person who gave them, whoever they were. …It expands our ability to do meals, and overnight shelter and the critical services we provide there. We can get a lot of meals out of this donation, which is huge."
Spike Lee, who created a custom pair with Tinker Hatfield to wear to the 2019 Academy Awards, wore this particular style. Eric LiBlassi, Head of Streetwear Design at Sotheby's, claims that this specific colour and style combination is part of an extremely small batch.
Tinker's signature on the box, the design proof, the limited production run, and the sneakers' distinctive style make these a genuine collector's item.
There aren't many pairs made like this one. According to reports, they were set aside for Spike and a select group of teammates. Tinker and Spike collaborated to create a colourway in honour of Spike's Oscar nomination for the movie "Black Panther."
2014 saw the gifting of a pair of all-gold Air Jordan 3s to singer Usher. In September 2023, the same style and two more were up for auction. "The Air Jordan 3 is believed to be one of only ten produced. In 2014, R&B singer Usher received a pair of all-gold Air Jordan 3s as a thank-you for his longtime support of the Jordan brand. These shoes were featured in a Honey Nut Cheerios commercial that starred Usher. This Air Jordan 9 model was worn by Usher during a taping of The Voice, the pair is incredibly rare and sought after. The Air Jordan 11 design was worn by Usher during a performance at the 2014 iHeart Music Festival in Las Vegas, and is believed to be one of only a handful ever produced."