While the Dodgers have been in a bit of funk this month, the market for memorabilia belonging to their best player has still remained red hot.
A pair of game-used, signed Shohei Ohtani cleats sold for a staggering $440,055 in an auction that closed on Sunday.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a single in the top of the fifth inning during the MLB Tokyo Opening Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. (Getty Images AsiaPac) Getty Images
Officials at The Realest, which facilitated the sale, said in a statement to the California Post on Monday that the item’s final, eye-watering price tag ended up setting “a new all-time pubic auction record for the most expensive baseball shoes ever sold.”
A pair of signed Shohei Ohtani spikes sold for over $400,000 at auction. The Realest
The previous high, according to the reps, belonged to Michael Jordan, whose game-used, signed Birmingham Barons cleats netted $93,000 in 2020.
In any sport, only two other pairs of athletes’ shoes have ever garnered more than $400,000 in a public sale — ones belonging to Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
A pair of signed Shohei Ohtani spikes sold for $440,000 at auction on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. (CAMILLE) The Realest
Ohtani donned the New Balance cleats during the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series, when the Dodgers faced off with the Cubs to open the ’25 season.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out in the top of the sixth inning during the MLB Tokyo Series game against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. (Getty Images AsiaPac) Getty Images
The red, white and blue spikes featured dirt from the Tokyo Dome and also paid homage to the two-way star’s dog, Decoy, in a couple different ways. There were images of the famed Kooikerhondje on both the back of the shoes as well as the bottom.
A pair of signed Shohei Ohtani spikes sold for $440,000 at auction on Wednesday, October 8, 2014. (CAMILLE) The Realest
Following the historic event in Japan, Ohtani autographed the pair with his Japanese Kanji signature and wrote the words, “GU Opening Day Tokyo Series.”
The sale is just the latest instance of the incredible demand for Ohtani-themed items. Just a couple weeks ago, one of his trading cards garnering over $10 million. And, over the weekend, a base from his record-setting 50/50 game in September 2024 sold for $73,000.
