Movie mogul Spike Lee is nearly as synonymous with Air Jordans as MJ himself. From the Mars Blackmon commercials in the 80s-90s with the iconic "It's gotta be the shoes" tagline to the hundreds of on-foot, exclusive, and rare pairs we've seen him wearing courtside at Knicks games. In 2006, Spike was given his silhouette in the Air Jordan line, the Spiz'ike. Spike Lee has also featured Air Jordans in many of his movies, so it's only fitting that he should receive a unique pair for the 2019 Oscar Awards when he was nominated three times for his work on BlacKkKlansman.
Tinker Hatfield designed the special pair for Lee, a gold-crusted Air Jordan 3. The Air Jordan 3 Retro "Spike Lee Oscars" has an all-gold upper and a red carpet sock liner. The signature heel tabs are equipped with the Jumpman on the left and Spike's 40 Acres And A Mule logo on the right.
In April of 2023, The Portland Rescue Mission, a transitional shelter program, was sorting through items in its donation chute when a staff member noticed the gold-cloaked Air Jordan 3s at the bottom of the bin. The staff was able to contact Nike, and Tinker Hatfield himself authenticated the pair. Hatfield also donated some paraphernalia and a replacement box for the shoes that are now up for auction at Sotheby's. 100% off the auction price will be given to The Portland Rescue Mission as the lucky recipient of the rare pair.
The Nike Air Jordan 3 Retro "Spike Lee Oscars" are currently up for bid at Sotheby's, and the auction closes on December 18th. The current bid is approaching $5,000, but the shoes are expected to be much higher. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more info on sneakers and collectibles.
Images via Sothebys