Gold Jordans donated to Oregon shelter were made for Spike Lee, sold for $50,800

James Free holds the rare gold Air Jordan 3s (AP)/Spike Lee (Wikipedia) A pair of striking gold Nike Air Jordan 3 sneakers ended up in a donation bin at the Portland Rescue Mission in Oregon in 2023, where staff initially suspected they were counterfeit. The shoes had been anonymously donated and were discovered by James Free, a man participating in the shelter's long-term programme, while he was sorting through donated items. Their unusual appearance eventually prompted staff to seek expert authentication. The sneakers turned out to be part of a tiny batch of custom Air Jordan 3s created by Nike designer Tinker Hatfield for filmmaker Spike Lee and people in his inner circle. After being authenticated, the rare shoes were put up for auction by Sotheby's and sold for $50,800 in December 2023.Rare Spike Lee Jordans discovered in donation binThe sneakers were placed in a donation chute at the Portland Rescue Mission's Burnside Shelter in April 2023. They eventually made their way into a basement donation bin containing clothing, blankets, coats, sleeping bags and shoes.James Free, who was living in the Mission's long-term shelter programme at the time, spotted the bright gold sneakers...