James Free, a formerly homeless man in the mission's long-term shelter program, found them while sorting through donations.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A pair of shiny, gold Nikes dropped into the donation bin at the Portland Rescue Mission drew a bid of $50,800 at auction Monday. The proceeds will go to the shelter.
The Air Jordan Retro 3s, size 12½, were one of a few custom pairs made for filmmaker Spike Lee and his inner circle; on one heel was the logo for his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule. Lee wore a pair — not the one donated — to the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony, where he accepted an Oscar for his “BlacKkKlansman” screenplay.
The shoes were anonymously dropped in the donation chute at the Portland Rescue Mission in the spring. James Free, a formerly homeless man in the mission’s long-term shelter program, found them while sorting through donations and brought them to the attention of the staff, according to a blog post on the mission’s website last week.
Nike designer Tinker Hatfield visited the shelter and authenticated the shoes. He also signed a replacement box and donated other Nike merchandise.
“I’m thrilled the shoes ended up here,” Hatfield said in a statement shared by the Portland Rescue Mission. “It’s a happy ending to a really great project.”
The shoes were put up for auction at Sotheby’s with an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. When the online auction ended Monday morning, the top bid was $50,800. The closing was extended during a flurry of late bidding.
Sotheby’s is waiving its fee, so all of the proceeds will benefit the shelter, which has helped people struggling with homelessness, hunger and addiction since 1949.
The identity of whoever donated the shoes remains a mystery.
