The 30 Most Expensive Nike Shoes Of All Time

The expensive shoes range from pairs worn at some of the most significant awards shows ever to unique celebrity and artist collaborations that are rarer than winning the lottery.

And trust me, you'll need to win the lottery to be able to buy some of these shoes.

Why are Nike Shoes So Expensive?

Just look around. Nike shoes are everywhere. Nike is one of the largest brands in the world, and its shoes are iconic products in American pop culture.

NBA basketball players, fashion icons, and rappers love to show off their newest slick kicks. Jordan Brand is also part of the Nike family, and if you've read our Most Expensive Air Jordans Ever Made list, you'll be familiar with several shoes on this list.

If you're a true sneakerhead or want to look good in a pair of kicks, Nike's got an extensive collection of kicks to choose from.

We also have to get one thing straight before we start. There are Nike shoes, the ones you can purchase from an outlet store, and then there are Nike shoes, only available at auctions for prices in the hundreds of thousands.

So how rare are these Nikes? And which celebrity owns the most expensive pair in the world? Keep reading to find out more about the 30 most expensive Nike shoes ever made.

The History of Nike and its Worldwide Popularity

Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight founded the Nike brand in 1964 at the University of Oregon. Carolyn Davis designed the famous Nike “Swoosh” logo for only $35. Nike later gave her more than $640,000 worth of Nike products for her work. Heck, she might own a pair of shoes on this list!

In total, Nike sells more than 900 million items of footwear, clothing, and sports accessories a year. 

The Best Nike Shoes of All Time

Now, you better start saving if you've ever dreamed of owning one of these iconic pairs of Nike shoes. We've rounded up the 30 most expensive Nike shoes ever made, and the cheapest one (see below) starts at a whopping $4,000.

Keep reading to learn about the many celebrity collaborations, the unique ‘City' line inspired by famous Cities, and how a shard of glass made one shoe worth as much as an entire house!

The 30 Most Expensive Nike Shoes Ever Made: 

30. Nike Dunk SB High 420 ($4,000)

In April 2004, Nike SB released a collection of shoes that focused on something quite taboo; cannabis. Now, with more and more states legalizing recreational drugs, it's funny to look back at the controversy this caused. The aptly named ‘Hemp Pack' featured three SB Dunk Low's made with a 100% hemp upper. 

This shoe is a re-release of the iconic High Skunk 420. Familia Skateshop teamed up with Nike SB to release these limited edition ‘High Skunk Reverse 420' to pay homage to the iconic collection. Released initially and retailing for $140, they are now priced much higher for collectors as a result of their relative scarcity.

29. Vlone x Nike Air Force 1 High ($8,000)

Created by Nike and ASAP Bari, the Harlem Native debuted these as predecessors to the original low-cut version. With only 20 pairs made, they are extremely rare. All existing pairs were sold at auction in Paris and resold for around $8000 if made available.

28. Nike Dunk SB Low Teen Wolf ($13,000)

Released in 2019 as a part of Nike's ‘Media Pack,' these shoes were inspired by another Michael J. Fox character, featured in the movie Teen Wolf. Michael J. Fox played the role of a high-school student that became the star of Beacon Town High School's basketball team after gaining the ability to transform into a werewolf. The shoe can be purchased anywhere from $6000 USD to its high of $13,000 USD. 

Other movies in the “Media Pack” included “White Men Can't Jump,” and “Hoosiers”. This was the most sought-after and most expensive of the three released. 

27. Nike Air Force 1 Low Entourage George ($14,000)

Another collaboration between Nike and Undefeated, these rare baby blue Nikes pay homage to the hit television show Entourage. In the show, Salvatore “Turtle” Assante spends an entire episode trying to hunt down a pair of Blue Fukijama Air Force 1's, the model this shoe is based on. The shoes feature references to the show and are extremely rare and expensive. 

26. Nike Dunk SB Low “What the Dunk…” ($14,600)

These shoes were released in anticipation of Nike's first feature-length skate film, “Nothing But The Truth”. They were created from pieces of 31 different Nike SB Dunk designs, including shoelaces, tongues, outsoles, and stitching.

Out of the 31 dunks used, only one was unattainable to customers. The neon green lining of the shoe is actually from the infamous eBay dunk (see below), a one-of-one that was destroyed after a Nike collector purchased the shoe only to destroy it.

25. Air Jordan 10 OVO ($20,000)

Hey, look, another Drake feature! This sneaker's high value comes from the rarity of the shoe, and only two pairs were given out publicly by Drake himself. These were created to celebrate the collaboration between Drake and Nike and were only given to Drake to give to family, friends, and crew members. But Drake decided to give out two pairs of the sneaker to fans at a Toronto concert. One fan immediately put them up for sale and received $20,000 for his pair. 

24. Nike Air Yeezy 2 Red October ($20,000)

Kanye West, well-known for his Adidas-branded sneaker line “Yeezy”, was Nike's first official sneaker collaboration project with a non-athlete. In 2009, the company released the Air Yeezy, which is second on our list for most expensive Nike shoes, and later released the Air Yeezy 2 in 2014. 

When the February 2014 release date came, Kanye West had already severed ties with the Nike brand and joined Adidas. The shoes are scarce, and the fallout between Kanye and Nike has made these shoes part of sneakerhead history. 

23. Macklemore x Air Jordan 6 ($25,000)

The Grammy-award-winning rap artist from Seattle teamed up with Nike to release this Air Jordan 6 collaboration. The cactus colorway sneaker sold for a high of $25,000. The price comes from the rarity of the collab. With only 23 sneakers created, 11 pairs were made of the ‘Green Suade' named Cactus, while 12 were made from the ‘Red Suade,' named Clay. Macklemore had the sole decision on who would receive the sneakers, which is why they fetch a high price whenever they come up for auction. There is no way to purchase them from a retail store of any kind.

You might like: Macklemore's Net Worth, Career Bio & More

22. DJ Khaled x Air Jordan 3 “Grateful” ($25,000)

These Air Jordan 3's, known as the ‘Grateful edition, were released in 2017. They are made in collaboration with world-famous DJ Khaled and commemorate the release of the Jordan Branded DJ Khaled's ‘Grateful' Album. His iconic catchphrase “We The Best” is featured on the heel. The only people who received the shoes were contest winners, which you could enter by purchasing the album. Nike gave the rest to friends and family of DJ Khaled.

Air Jordan 4 Retro Eminem Encore ($27,000)

These Air Jordan 4's were made to celebrate the release of Eminem's Encore album. Only 50 pairs were made and given to Eminem's friends and family. 

StockX and Eminem teamed up again to sell 23 pairs of the newly updated Air Jordan 4's, with this retro style centered around the release of his 2017 album Revival. There were only 23 pairs available, and all donations were made to the Marshall Mathers Foundation. They have sold for an average price of $27,000.

UNDFTD x Air Jordan 4 ($30,000)

There's a lot of love for the Air Jordan 4's. This pair was created by the LA sneaker store Undefeated. With production halted after making only 72 pairs, the sneakers are rare and hard to come by. They feature a military-inspired olive green color, and the velcro Jumpman patch conceals words that read ‘Rare Jordan.' A collector's dream. A box-fresh pair of these sneakers sold for $30,000 in 2015 and used pairs usually cost around $15,000.

Nike Dunk SB eBay ($30,000)

The rarest Nike dunks ever made, only two known pairs are in existence today. In 2003, one lucky customer won a pair in his size for $30,000, with the proceeds going to the Tim Branch Foundation. The original sample the sneaker was based on was later destroyed and cut into pieces. In 2018, the Nike SB pioneer Sandy Bodecker received a copy of the sneakers upon retirement from the company. 

These shoes played another part in the “What the Dunk…” shoe above, as the green lining from the destroyed eBays was repurposed and used to create the collaborated shoe. 

Air Jordan 2 Originals ($31,000)

This 28-year-old pair went for an absurd price of $31,000. Not many know why this commanded such a high price, as it isn't trendy among sneakers or basketball fans. These shoes were the second shoe created for superstar Michael Jordan and were made to have better ankle support compared with the Jordan 1's. One aspect that could make sense is that the original mold for these shoes was lost, or destroyed, meaning these shoes can never be made the same way again. Still, this is the strangest price for a specific shoe on this list.

Eminem x Carhartt Air Jordan 4 ($37,500)

The second collaboration between Nike and Eminem to make this list. Eminem is a noted sneakerhead and collector and is a big fan of the Nike brand. These are the most expensive of his shoes. Collaborating with Carhartt and Nike to create these Air Jordan 4's. Nike made only ten pairs, and they were sold directly on eBay. All proceeds went to Michigan State University's music program

16. Nike Dunk SB Low Freddy Krueger ($38,000)

As you might be able to tell, the Nike SB Dunk collection features many of Nike's most expensive shoes. This particular one has one of the most remarkable stories attached to it. 

According to numerous blogs, only 30 of these sneakers are in circulation. This is due to the cancellation before the public release of the shoe, due to a cease and desist letter from New-Line Cinema, the producers of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. New Line Cinema sent the copyright infringement claim so late that the sneaker had already made its way to numerous retailers. Nike ordered the retailers to return for destruction to avoid litigation. It's widely known that several retailers defied orders, keeping pairs of the shoes for themselves, while some rumors say that multiple were smuggled out of the Nike factory.

Another rumor states that Tinker Hatfield, the legendary Nike designer, was so upset at the comparisons made between himself and the iconic villain. He hated the nickname enough to cancel the sneaker's release entirely, as the story goes. 

Nike has since released a similar style of Air Max 95s, although avoiding direct references and color schemes to Freddy Krueger to avoid litigation.

Air Jordan 11 “Jeter” ($40,000)

Nike released these Air Jordan 11s to commemorate Derek Jeter's retirement in 2017. Nike released only five pairs in a pop-up shop auction near Yankee Stadium. These navy blue velvet sneakers feature the famed number ‘2' on the heel. 

Nike Dunk SB Low Staple NYC Pigeon ($50,000)

 

These Jess Staple-designed sneakers—inspired by the iconic New York City bird, the pigeon—offer one of the wildest release stories ever. Released to the public in 2015, word quickly spread, enough that a line soon formed outside of Reed Space, Jeff Staple's Lower East Side shop. The crowd eventually reached a size large enough that New York City Police had to be involved to ensure the safety of those who could get their hands on the iconic shoe. With only 150 pairs ever released, these Nike SB Dunks are among the most popular Dunks ever and will cost you around $50,000 to purchase online or at an auction.

13. Nike Dunk SB Low London ($60,000)

Another iconic shoe in the Dunk category, this shoe is part of the ‘City' series, whose shoes appear several times on this list.

This simplistic color scheme features a simple, embroidered representation of the River Thames, a river that flows through Southern England and London. It is the longest river in England.

12. Futura 2000's Nike Dunk High Pro SC “FLOM” ($63,000)

These Nike Dunk Highs set the record sale price for Nike Dunk sneakers, selling at an auction for $63,000. There were only 34 sneakers made, and only three were raffled to the public, with the rest given to friends and family of Futura. 

Hilton McGurr is the inspiration and designer behind the sneakers. Hilton, also known as Futura, is a legendary Brooklyn graffiti artist. He is known as a famous illustrator, photographer, and fashion designer.

11. Concepts x Nike Dunk SB Low Yellow Lobster ($70,000)

With only 34 total made, the rarity of these shoes drives the price up substantially. Nike gave these 34 pairs to only family, friends, and members of the concepts crew. As they will never be released for retail, your only chance would be to place the winning bid at an auction.

Air Jordan 12 OVO (Drake Edition) ($100,000)

One of the strangest shoes to make this list, these Air Jordan 12 OVO's retail for $225. And while they have been sold out for a while, they are not known for their rarity or uniqueness. A seller on eBay secured a sale for a pair for $100,000, so someone decided to pay the price for these sneakers. It's unknown whether this pair featured a distinguishing mark, signature from Drake, or anything that would make the pair a rare find.

9. Nike Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game” ($104,765)

You can't stray away from Jordan for too long. These iconic sneakers were auctioned off by the ball boy lucky enough to be given them by Mike, and they sold for $104,765. They were worn during one of Jordan's most iconic games ever. Struggling with “flu-like symptoms” (later thought to be food poisoning), Jordan gutted out a 38-point showing in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, giving the Bulls a 3-2 series lead. Iconic shots of Jordan, head down, on the bench are part of the history of the NBA. 

In 2013, Tim Grover, MJ's trainer, told the story about what happened in Utah that night that led to Jordan's illness. 

“So we order a pizza, they come to deliver it, five guys come to deliver this pizza. And I'm just … I take the pizza, and I tell them, I said, ‘I got a bad feeling about this.' I said, ‘I just got a bad feeling about this.'

“Out of everybody in the room, he was the only one that ate. Nobody else … then 2 o'clock in the morning, I get a call to my room. I come to the room, he's curled up, he's curled up in the fetal position. We're looking at him. We're finding the team physician at that time. And immediately I said, ‘It's food poisoning.' Guaranteed. Not the flu.”

8. Nike Dunk SB Low Paris ($130,000)

The Nike SD Dunk Low “Paris” is well-known to sneakerheads. Its price comes from its incredible limited pairs, with a reported 150-200 created. This Nike SB is part of the 2002 “White Dunk” traveling exhibition. Bernard Buffet, a late French expressionist artist, adorned each pair with different artwork. This means no two pairs are the same. 

The London-based reselling store, Proxyseed, confirmed is sold a pair for around $130,000. According to Proxyseed's owner, Ryan Thomas, this would make the sale the world's most expensive private shoe sale in history (excluding game-worn Jordans or signed shoes).

7. Nike Air Mag “Back to the Future 2016” ($200,000)

These iconic sneakers were made famous by Marty Mcfly, the character in Back to the Future 2, played by actor Michael J. Fox. They were the coveted—but unavailable—shoe ever seen until Nike created and released 1,500 pairs to the public. They were auctioned off by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research, with one pair receiving the winning bid of $200,000. The sneakers feature ‘power laces,' part of Nike adaptive fit technology that self-tie to fit your foot. 

6. Nike Waffle Racing Flat “Moon Shoe” ($437,500)

Our first pair of shoes that isn't tied into a globally recognized icon, these Waffle Racing flat ‘Nike Moon Shoe' sold at an auction for $437,500. Only twelve pairs of these shoes were ever made and were designed by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman for runners at the 1972 Olympic Trials. The story says that Bowerman was inspired by the pattern on his wife's waffle iron and poured rubber into the iron to create the first mold of the waffle design on the bottom of the shoe. An avid collector purchased them. 

5. Nike Air Jordan 1's Game-Worn ($560,000)

Everyone calls him the GOAT, and he is the most responsible for the sneaker craze of the past 40 years. Michael Jordan is the person behind the iconic Jordan Brand. His Air Jordan's sold at auction for $560,000. The actual game he wore these is unknown, but the shoes are assumed to have been worn in his first two years in the league. 

4. Nike Air Jordan 1's Game-Worn (Again!) ($615,000)

These red, white, and black Air Jordan 1's fetched a price of $615,000 when they were auctioned off in late 2020. They are certified to have been worn in a 1985 exhibition game Jordan took part in, located in Trieste, Italy. The rarity comes from the shard of embedded glass still in the left sole after Michael Jordan shattered the backboard after a dunk. It is a one of it's kind Michael Jordan artifact.

3. Nike Air Ships Game-Worn (Threepeat!) ($1.472 million)

It's fitting that Michael Jordan, the name behind the Jordan Brand, has three of the top five most expensive Nikes ever sold. Michael Jordan wore these for his 5th NBA game on November 1, 1984. The “Air Ship” was the first show that Michael Jordan wore as an NBA professional. 

If you bought the shoes, you would also become the owner of Mr. Lewis' 1984-85 Denver Nuggets season Staff Pass. Not to mention a letter from Resolution Photomatching that shows these shoes match the pair he wore at his third NBA game. This means there's a possibility that he wore these shoes for two games. Talk about value. 

Altogether, this pair is the number three most expensive pair of Nikes ever. Additionally, the pair is the second most expensive Nike shoe ever sold to the public at an auction, with both shoes having been listed on Sotheby's website.

So, what's the most expensive Nike shoe sold at an auction? Check out number 2 on our list below.

2. Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototypes ($1.8 million)

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys)

Kanye West has made two shoes with Nike, but this specific pair almost tops our list for the most expensive sneaker ever. West wore the $1.8 million shoes during his 2008 performance at the Grammy awards. It's a famous performance, as he emotionally sang his hit song “Hey Mama” after she had passed away a year earlier. 

Mark Smith and Kanye West designed these size 12 prototypes of the later publically released Nike Air Yeezy 1's. These shoes became the most expensive Nikes publicly sold at auction when they beat the Air Jordan 1's that sold in 2021 for $560,000. They were the first pair to break the $1 million mark when it came to the most expensive sneaker sale.

1. Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordan ($2 million)

So, what is the most expensive Nike shoe ever?

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi)

 

The most expensive Nike shoe ever made is the Solid Gold OVO x Air Jordan collaboration. Drake paid $2 million for the pair of shoes and shared a picture of the pair via his @champagnepapi Instagram account. Los Angeles-based concept artist Matthew Senna designed the 24k solid gold Jordans after Jordan 10's. 

Each shoe weighs 50 pounds, so you better be careful if you try to run or jump with them on. As a matter of fact, the shoes design means they're purely for decoration. You wouldn't be able to put them on.

Yes, you read that right; you aren't even able to wear the most expensive Nike shoes ever made.

Drake bought them for $2 million and, at present, has never put them up for sale.

Now Drake is compared to his peers in terms of both having a higher net worth compared to J Cole's Net Worth, or Kendrick Lamar's, and also his skill in creating rap music. But is Drake better than his peers? That's for you to decide, but whatever the case may be, his fellow artists don't own the most expensive Nike sneaker ever made. 

See Also: The 20 Most Expensive Air Jordans Ever Made

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Most Expensive Nike Shoes Ever