Jordan-Autographed Shoes Score For School

A pair of well-worn basketball shoes may mean some big bucks for a scholarship fund at Montana State University-Northern here.

They’re Nike Air Jordans, autographed by Michael Jordan himself, and vintage 1986, the year Nike launched Air Jordans.

Marty Foxman, an academic counselor at Northern, is donating the red, white and black high-top shoes to raise scholarship money for Northern’s American Indian students. He bought them several years ago at a Denver area Goodwill store for $2.75.

But with the autograph and the talk that Jordan may retire after this basketball season, placing a current price tag on the shoes is difficult.

Several dealers in sports memorabilia couldn’t say what they’re worth. Dealers routinely sell vintage Air Jordans for about $500.

“But for a pair of shoes with his signature, they can’t find a comparable,” Foxman said. “In that regard, they are rare that way.”