Shohei Ohtani Tokyo Series shoes set $440,055 auction record

Shohei Ohtani sets a new record for game-used baseball shoes

Shohei Ohtani has added another milestone to his already historic career, this time in the memorabilia market. His game-used and personally signed New Balance Ohtani 1 shoes from the opening game of the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series sold for $440,055 at The Realest, setting a public auction record for the most expensive baseball shoes ever sold.

The result pushed Ohtani past a long list of baseball legends whose game-worn shoes had previously reached five figures, including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron. It also surpassed the previous baseball footwear record held by Michael Jordan, whose game-worn and signed Birmingham Barons cleats sold for $93,000.

Why the sale stands out

The Tokyo Series pair carried added significance because Ohtani wore the shoes in his first MLB game in his home country. After the game, he signed them with his rare Japanese Kanji signature, adding another layer of appeal for collectors.

The auction drew 89 bids and became the highest-selling item in The Realest history. According to the company, the sale also outpaced previous auction results for game-used shoes from Ruth, Williams, Mantle, Aaron, Derek Jeter and current stars Kyle Schwarber and Aaron Judge.

The shoes also moved beyond the highest-selling footwear on record from athletes in other sports, including Tom Brady, LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Stephen Curry.

Inside the record sale

The Realest said the result reflects the importance of authentication, storytelling, global reach and relationships when bringing major game-used memorabilia to market. Scott Keeney, also known as DJ Skee, founder and CEO of The Realest, said the company was proud of the outcome and called it a record-setting sale for a truly important piece of baseball history.

Ohtani now joins a very small group of athletes whose game-used footwear has sold for more than $300,000. The source notes that only Ohtani, Jordan and Kobe Bryant have reached that level.

Jordan remains the overall benchmark in the category, with the $8 million sale of his Dynasty Collection of six NBA championship shoes and the record for a single pair of shoes at $2.2 million.

Top baseball shoes sold at auction

• $440,055 - Shohei Ohtani 2025 MLB Tokyo Series shoes (2026)
• $93,000 - Michael Jordan 1994 game-used, signed Birmingham Barons cleats (2020)
• $81,563 - Babe Ruth 1918 Red Sox single cleat (2021)
• $72,000 - Babe Ruth game-used professional model cleats (2019)
• $70,745 - Ted Williams 1960 final career game Red Sox cleats (2021)
• $12,438 - Mickey Mantle 1960 Yankees game-used Rawlings cleats (2023)
• $10,800 - Hank Aaron 1965 game-used cleats
• $9,950 - Shohei Ohtani game-used, signed ASICS cleats
• $3,112 - Derek Jeter 2011 game-used Yankees cleats (2026)
• $3,045 - Kyle Schwarber 2023 game-used World Baseball Classic cleats (2026)

Ohtani's growing place in the memorabilia market

The record sale adds to Ohtani's expanding footprint across the collectibles world. His game-used items continue to attract strong attention from bidders, and this latest result shows how much demand exists for high-end pieces tied to major moments in his career.

For collectors, the Tokyo Series shoes combine several factors that typically drive premium results: a direct connection to a landmark game, a rare signature style, and a player whose memorabilia has already proven capable of setting records. In this case, all of those elements came together in a single auction lot that finished well above every previous baseball shoe sale on record.

With the $440,055 result now established as the new high-water mark for baseball footwear, Ohtani's Tokyo Series shoes have become one of the most notable game-used memorabilia sales in the sport's history.

Source: via SCD (sportscollectorsdigest.com)