This Extremely Rare ‘Purple Rain’ Air Jordan Sneaker Made for Prince Sold for $100,000
An Air Jordan 11 fit for a prince has been revealed by the sneaker game’s chief procurer — or rather, an Air Jordan 11 fit for the Prince.
A one-of-one Air Jordan 11 “Purple Rain” made for Prince was sold for $100,000 on Instagram Sunday by Simon Tan, known for the handle @depeche23mode. Jordan Brand produced the sneaker with the intent of giving it to the legendary artist but was unable to do so before Prince passed in 2016.
Naturally, the bespoke Air Jordan 11 is clad almost entirely in purple. Rather than the standard patent leather, the prominent mudguard is rendered in purple velvet. A lighter shade is then used uniformly for the rest of the upper, including suede and nylon, while the Jumpman comes in a raised silver-tone metal. A white midsole then sits atop a translucent purple outsole, but perhaps the best detail of all is hidden away inside the shoe.
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A custom black insole features a graphic with streaking rain and the word “Jumpman” in the same font from the “Purple Rain” album cover.
Prince was well known as a basketball fan and even as a skilled player himself, the latter quality most famously depicted in a skit from “Chappelle’s Show.”
Michael Jordan is also a big fan of Prince, having had the musician play a private set for his birthday in 2015. Upon Prince’s death, Jordan told TMZ in 2016: “His impact not just on music, but on culture, truly can’t be measured. His songs inspired me throughout my career and remind me of so many moments from my life. His greatness will live on through his music, but this is a sad day for his fans — me included. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.”
Tan recently grabbed headlines for selling a rare Off-White x Air Jordan 4 sample for $60,000.
