Gold sneakers made for Spike Lee found in shelter donation bin

A pair of gold-colored Nike Air Jordan 3 sneakers made for Spike Lee and the 2019 Oscars were found in the donation bin of a Portland, Oregon, homeless shelter.

The shiny shoes are being sold by the Sotheby’s auction house on Monday.

A member of the Portland Rescue Mission (PRM) long-term shelter program found the shoes in the donation bin at the program’s downtown Burnside Shelter in April 2023, according to the lot description for the shoes.

Since the shoes were in brand-new condition and looked identical to a pair of gold Air Jordans worn on the red carpet by Mr. Lee, shelter staff took them to a sneaker store for evaluation. They were offered $10,000 on the spot for the rare pair.

“They explained that these were indeed part of a very small run of sneakers produced by Nike for Spike Lee, and that they are some of the most rare and collectable shoes on the market. These were not Spike Lee’s personal shoes, but they are one of 4-5 pairs total that were manufactured for him to give out to his inner circle,” PRM Director of Staff Ministry Erin Holcomb wrote in a release.

Instead of selling them to the store, PRM reached out to Sotheby’s and arranged for them to be auctioned, with 100% of the hammer price going to the group, which has helped those struggling with addiction and homelessness since 1949.

The man who designed the shoes for Nike and Spike, Tinker Hatfield, also confirmed their authenticity. He signed the shoes and also provided the lot with a new box and a concept board for the sneakers, Ms. Holcomb wrote.

“I’m thrilled the shoes ended up here. It’s a happy ending to a really great project,” Mr. Hatfield said, according to the lot description.

The sneakers are expected to draw $15,000-$20,000. The current bid as of Wednesday was $4,200.