In 2019, academy-award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee hired famed Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield to create a custom set of Jordan 3s for a small group of people in honor of his 2019 Oscar nomination for “BlacKkKlansman.”
This week we heard that a pair of those sneakers tumbled down the donation slot at the Portland Rescue Mission and into the hands of former homeless man and recovering addict James Free.
Free, who was undergoing worker training at the Portland Rescue Mission warehouse in West Portland, found the sparkling gold shoes and brought them to the staff’s attention.
Hatfield personally authenticated the shoes after the discovery, telling the Portland Rescue Mission that he only made four or five pairs of the custom Jordans. According to estimates, the unique shoes are expected to fetch $10,000 to $20,000 at auction, which concludes on Dec. 18.
The Rescue Mission will receive 100% of the proceeds from the sale. The profits from the auction will go toward funding more recovery programs.