A maintenance worker is selling a pair of sneakers he found in a trash can for $20,000 after discovering their shocking history.
Larry Awe was demolishing an abandoned mall in Wisconsin when he came across NBA superstar Michael Jordan’s old shoes.
In 2001, while Awe was demolishing Milwaukee’s Capitol Mall, he walked into a storage room and discovered a pair of sneakers.
He was immediately struck by the words “My Very Best” written on them and realized they probably belonged to sportswear store Playmakers.
Playmaker is known for displaying collectibles in their windows before malls close, which could make these shoes very valuable.
Looking closer, he saw Jordan’s faded signature and began to recall how much excitement the celebrity shoe would bring to the town.
“We’ll be walking in the mall for a long time,” Awe, who has worked in mall maintenance for many years, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2019.
“I’m a huge basketball fan and the biggest crowds I’ve ever seen in malls are when new shoes are being shown.”
Awe decided to take this box of shoes home and kept it as a souvenir for nearly 20 years.
part of history
Jordan owned the pair of shoes that Awe discovered in 1985 and wore them during a Feb. 17 game against the Bulls.
The budding star was only 22 years old at the time, but was already starting to stand out from the rest.
Part of what makes this iconic Nike shoe so special is its red and black design, which was once banned by the NBA for not adhering to the predominantly white dress code.
Although the signatures have faded, experts were still able to accurately date the sneakers using the serial numbers.
“It’s almost like a buried treasure,” said Chris Nerat, director of consignment at Heritage Auctions, where the shoes were sold.
“Larry had this shoe in his basement for 17 years, and it happens to be what Heritage and I consider to be the most important Air Jordan shoe in existence, and I don’t think we’re exaggerating.”
Nerat said their starting bid is $5,000, but he expects the shoes to sell for at least $20,000.
Awe is happy to hear the value of the shoes, but there is a problem with the upcoming auction.
Playmakers owner Ron Tesmer believed he was the rightful owner of the shoes and submitted a request to stop the auction.
He told a local newspaper that he misplaced the shoes and didn’t realize they were missing in a storage room.
Nerat said ownership disputes are normal for auctions and Heritage will consider his point of view before selling the sneakers.
Before that, another lucky shopper spotted a $289 product for $40 and revealed a clue to know if the product had been used.