The quiet designer behind $1.47 million Jordan sneaker

A lot of people know Tinker Hatfield, designer of many a famous Nike sneaker and who collaborated with Michael Jordan on some of the basketball legend’s kicks.

But along with Hatfield, there also was Bruce Kilgore, who created the Air Force 1 line. If Hatfield was like Steve Jobs, famous and with a distinct personal style, Kilgore was like Steve Wozniack, who some rate higher for his game.

Sneakerhead Mayor (real, mundane name Mark Farese), who owns a collection of some 4,000 pairs that is worth about $1.5 million, once said as much to Hatfield.

"I told him, I was like... 'You're my number two, Bruce Kilgore is my hero, but you're a close number two.'"

Kilgore is known to be the reserved sort. But on Sunday, October 24, he found himself under the spotlight, at least to those who read the fine print. Jordan’s size 13 Nike Air Ships from 1984 that sold for a record $1.47 million at a Sotheby's auction in Las Vegas was designed by Kilgore. Collector Nick Fiorella was the buyer.

According to news reports, the sneakers are autographed by Jordan and are from as early as the fifth NBA game of his career. They are the first sneakers to fetch over a million dollars at an auction. The previous record was held by a pair of Nike Air Jordans which sold for $615,000 in August 2020 at a Christie’s event.

A pair of sneakers owned by Kanye West, who recently changed his name to Ye, sold for $1.8 million in April, but that was at a private sale.

"To present such a groundbreaking and important pair of sneakers at this special auction in Las Vegas further solidifies the strength and broad reach of the sneaker collecting community," said Brahm Wachter, head of Sotheby's streetwear and modern collectibles department.

Jordan gifted the pair of Air Ships after a game to one Tommie Tim III Lewis, who was a ball boy for the Denver Nuggets during the 1984-’85 season. Lewis held on to the treasure till the October 24 auction. His discipline has been rewarded. And a quiet designer has got his due. Not that he was looking for it.