A pair of sneakers that were worn by basketball player Michael Jordan was sold for $2.2 million (around €2 million) on Tuesday in New York, becoming the most expensive worn sports footwear in history, auction house Sotheby's said.

The sneakers broke a previous record when a pair of Air Jordans were sold for $1.5 million in 2021.

"Today's record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations," Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said in a statement.

According to the auction organizers, Jordan gave the autographed pair of sneakers to a ball-boy after the game.

Sotheby said that the seller was not the original recipient of the shoes but did not give details about the buyer.

Despite setting a world record, the auction price for the sneakers fell well below the predicted price of $4 million.

Why are the sneakers so special?

The trainers, called "Bred" for their black and red color, were worn by the basketball superstar in 1998 during Game 2 of the NBA finals which was his sixth and last NBA championship title.

Jordan, who is now 60, spent most of his basketball career playing with the Chicago Bulls. He won all of his six championship titles with the team.

Jordan wore the pair during the second half of the Bulls' 93-88 win over Utah Jazz in 1998.

The finals of the match have also been shown in the hit ESPN/Netflix documentary "The Last Dance." Reportedly, Nike still pays the retired basketball star millions in royalties from sales of its Air Jordan series of sneakers.