The Florsheim Imperial leather shoes Michael Jackson wore to rehearse his iconic “Billie Jean” performance, where he did the moonwalk for the first time during the 25th anniversary of Motown TV special in 1983, will be up for auction for $10,000.
GWS Auctions is putting up the shoes for sale, among other MJ memorabilia.
“Anything related to Michael Jackson is extraordinary, and to have something so incredibly historical as these shoes worn by Michael when he first did that now famous moonwalk is beyond special,” Brigitte Kruse, owner of GWS Auctions, told CNN. “We are so very honored to be able to offer them at auction.”
The loafers belonged to choreographer Lester Wilson, who said the King of Pop gave him the shoes after rehearsing with his brothers for the special. It’s a possibility that MJ rocked those loafers during the actual performance, considering that he referred to the pair as “magic shoes.” Although the shoes show sign of age, they’ve been kept in “wonderful” condition.
The loafers are marked “Motown 25” and signed “Michael Jackson” on the soles in blue marker. One of the shoes is also numbered “Michael #2.” Other auctioned items include his red Christian Dior cardigan and his Swarovski-studded riding helmet.
