Pristine pair of unworn Nike Air Jordan 1 (Chicago) ‘Player Sample’ basketball sneakers, with inner lining to each stamped with size 13 (left) and 13 ½ (right), and coding “850204-TYPS.”
The right sneaker tongue signed in black felt tip by Michael Jordan during his rookie season. The coding number “850204” refers to the date of production, indicating that these sneakers were made in 1985 between the months of February (02) and April (04). The acronym “TYPS” stands for ‘Tong Yang Player Sample,’ which places these sneakers as ‘Player Samples,’ and that they were produced from the 'Tong Yang' factory.
These test basketball shoes were made in extremely limited quantities and were never available in retail sporting goods stores. Included are white and black laces and the original red-and-black Nike shoebox with cover. The box is marked as “4280, Air Jordan, W/BLK/RED” and bears a size “USA 13” label.
A key nuance to the authenticity of these sneakers are the mismatched sizes of 13 and 13 ½, as Jordan wore a slightly larger sneaker on his right foot throughout his career. Boxes containing both 13 and 13 ½ Air Jordan 1 sneakers were exclusively made for MJ, so were never available at public retail stores. Also of significance is the “850204-TYPS” coding, which aligns to both Jordan’s rookie season and a narrow window of ‘Player Sample’ production.
Examples of Air Jordan 1 “850204-TYPS” are extremely rare, with those autographed by a 22-year-old Michael Jordan at the time, nearly impossible to find. These "Jordans" are in very fine, never-worn condition. The original shoebox is in very good condition, with some slight wear showing.
Accompanied by full letters of authenticity from PSA/DNA and Beckett Authentication Services for the large, bold, early Jordan autograph, plus a detailed letter of provenance from the original recipient/owner.