Jordan Geller

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Jordan Geller
Los Angeles, California, U.S.[1]
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Arizona (BA)
Sneaker collector
  • sneaker reseller
    • Spouse
    Natalie Geller
    ​
    (m. 2014)​
    Awards
    Guinness World Record holder (2012)
    Websiteshoezeum.com

    Jordan Michael Geller (born 1977) is an American

    sneaker collector who founded and operated the ShoeZeum, the world's first sneaker museum. In 2012, Geller was certified by Guinness World Records for having the largest sneaker collection in the world, at 2,388 pairs.[note 1]

    Geller earned a

    CEO Mark Parker, in 2011. Geller moved the ShoeZeum to Las Vegas in 2012, where he was featured on an episode of the reality TV show Pawn Stars
    .

    Geller has collected or sold several Nike "Moon Shoes"—some of the earliest Nike sneakers designed by Nike co-founder

    Air Jordan 1s
    for over half a million dollars at auction. Geller has auctioned off numerous other coveted sneakers during his career. Since closing the ShoeZeum in 2012, Geller has sold the majority of his sneaker collection.

    Early life

    Geller grew up in

    NBA career.[14]

    Career

    ShoeZeum

    During his time in law school, Geller visited local

    swap meets and outlets to purchase Nikes that he later resold for a profit on his eBay business, Sneak's Kicks.[11][7] At his peak, Geller owned 15,000 pairs of sneakers.[15] Geller received a letter from Nike in 2009 informing him that he was banned from shopping from any of their stores.[14][4]

    The ShoeZeum when it was originally in San Diego
    .

    Geller stored his inventory in a 9,000 sq ft (840 m2) warehouse located in San Diego.[11][5] Geller decided to sell off his inventory and use the money to "curate the world's greatest sneaker collection."[14] In 2010, Geller converted his online reselling business into a museum for shoes, called the ShoeZeum, which initially displayed around 2,000 pairs of sneakers.[11] The ShoeZeum became the world's first sneaker museum.[16][17] The museum was outfitted with toys, posters, and other complementary memorabilia. Geller's inspiration for the ShoeZeum included Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Field of Dreams, The Last Lecture, Man on Wire, and Walt Disney.[7]

    Geller sent invitations to Nike executives to tour his museum. On March 21, 2011, seven top Nike executives, including then-CEO Mark Parker and designer Tinker Hatfield, accepted Geller's invitation and visited the ShoeZeum.[5][18] Subsequently, Nike paid the ShoeZeum's rent for three months while other executives toured the facility. In total, 67 Nike executives visited the warehouse, according to Geller.[19] Others who have seen the ShoeZeum include businesswoman Meg Whitman and baseball player Mike Adams.[8][20] Before the ShoeZeum was open to the public, Geller auctioned off five "golden tickets" for a private tour of his warehouse, with all the proceeds benefiting the Livestrong Foundation.[21]

    Geller told the Las Vegas Sun he wanted more people to experience his museum, so he moved the ShoeZeum to Las Vegas in 2012.[8] On August 30, the ShoeZeum re-opened in a 7,500 sq ft (700 m2) rented space at the Neonopolis shopping center in downtown Las Vegas. At the grand opening, the ribbon was cut by Mayor Carolyn Goodman.[22] The museum contained 23 themed exhibits that displayed an array of Nike sneakers.[23] Geller and the ShoeZeum were featured on an episode of the reality TV show Pawn Stars, where Geller attempted to sell his collection.[13] With 2,388 pairs of sneakers, Geller was certified by Guinness World Records for having the largest sneaker collection in the world.[24][25][2] The ShoeZeum eventually topped over 2,500 pairs of sneakers.[26][27] Geller's museum contained one of every Air Jordan model ever made, and all but eight sneakers in the ShoeZeum were Nikes.[12]

    Geller closed the ShoeZeum in November 2012,[14] commenting that "having a sneaker museum is just not sustainable."[4] The owner of the Neonopolis stated that the short-lived operation of the ShoeZeum was all "according to plan," and a brewery was expected to replace the ShoeZeum.[28] Geller and the ShoeZeum were included on lists of "wild" world records by CBS News[29] and "most ridiculous" world records by BuzzFeed News.[30]

    • Selected images from the ShoeZeum
    • Rows of Nike SBs
      Rows of Nike SBs
    • DJ AM's Air Force 1s
      Air Force 1s
    • Geller sitting at his desk at the ShoeZeum
      Geller sitting at his desk at the ShoeZeum
    • Nike SBs inspired by Homer Simpson
      Nike SBs inspired by Homer Simpson
    • Nike Air Maxes
      Nike Air Maxes
    • A wall of Air Jordan sneakers
      A wall of Air Jordan sneakers
    • Nike Air Maxes autographed by Nice Kicks founder Matt Halfhill
      Nike Air Maxes autographed by Nice Kicks founder Matt Halfhill
    • Vintage Nike running shoes
      Vintage Nike running shoes
    • Colorful Nike SBs with accompanying toys
      Colorful Nike SBs with accompanying toys

    Nike "Moon Shoes"

    Bowerman buried Moon Shoe

    A Nike "Moon Shoe," designed by Bill Bowerman, with its signature waffle sole.

    In 2014, Jeff Wasson, a utilities worker, sold an early

    soles of the shoes) in Bowerman's backyard. Bowerman's son allowed Wasson to keep one of the shoes where he stored it in his car for a few years. Wasson sold the shoe to Geller after a neighbor saw Geller featured on Pawn Stars. Geller framed the shoe over his fireplace.[31][32][33]

    Covert's Moon Shoes

    Geller acquired a pair of Moon Shoes owned by American runner

    1972 Olympic Marathon Trials held in Eugene, Oregon, Covert entered an early Nike store to receive a free T-shirt and was given a pair of the Moon Shoes by Geoff Hollister, Nike's third employee. The shoe featured an innovative "waffle sole," designed by Bowerman, and was reportedly more comfortable than other running shoes at that time. Covert was one of five runners to wear the Moon Shoe at the start of his race, but the only one to finish—giving him the distinction of being "the first runner to ever cross a finish line in a pair of Nikes." Covert's shoes became highly collectible over the years, and he was finally convinced by Geller to sell them. Nike had also approached Covert to purchase the shoes but purportedly offered him a lower price than Geller. Geller revealed the shoes at an event at the Oregon Historical Society in 2016.[34][35]

    Mortenson's Moon Shoes

    Geller auctioned off a pair of Moon Shoes belonging to retired runner Bruce Mortenson for $11,200 in 2016.[36] Mortenson acquired the shoes during the 1972 Olympic Trials.[37] Mortenson did not qualify for the team but kept the shoes and wore them in future races. Mortenson decided to sell his shoes after hearing how fellow runner Mark Covert sold his Moon Shoes to Geller. The shoes contained no laces, and the soles were crumbled. According to Geller, the winner of the auction was an avid sneaker collector based in Malaysia.[38]

    Russell's Moon Shoes

    Similar to Mortenson, Dave Russell, a runner from

    Sacramento, was present at the 1972 Olympic Trials, where he was also given a pair of Moon Shoes. Russell did not wear the Moon Shoes during his marathon run, and his shoes were in considerably better condition than Mortenson's, said Geller. Initially, Geller was supposed to facilitate a 10-day eBay auction for Russell's shoes.[39] However, a Nike-themed hotel located in Eugene, Oregon, contacted Russell to purchase his shoes privately. Geller drove to Eugene in a DeLorean to personally deliver the shoes to the hotel where they were to be displayed.[40] The hotel paid $50,000 for Russell's shoes.[41][42]

    Sotheby's Moon Shoes

    In 2019, Geller broke a world record for the most expensive sneaker sold at auction when he sold a pair of 1972 Moon Shoes at

    Miles Nadal, a Canadian investor and car collector, purchased the 99 other sneakers in the lot for $850,000. On the final day of the auction, Nadal won the bid for the Moon Shoes at a record-breaking $437,500. Nadal plans to display the shoes at his private car museum in Toronto.[49][50][51]

    Air Jordan 1s
    .

    Air Jordan 1s

    On May 17, 2020,

    NBA championship during the 1997-1998 season.[61][62] The shoes sold for nearly four times their initial estimate. Sotheby's did not release the identity of the buyer.[63][64]

    Other auctions

    In 2009, Geller purchased the late DJ AM's personal pair of Air Force 1s for over $3,000 at auction, with the money benefiting the DJ AM Memorial Fund.[65]

    In July 2018, Geller sold an original

    The Michael J. Fox Foundation.[66][67][68]

    A former Nike employee of more than 30 years collaborated with Geller to auction off their collection of rare sneakers. The employee, who remains anonymous, worked in Nike's "

    Air Force 1s made with Nike Shox technology.[69][70]

    Geller and auction house Sotheby's launched a new online marketplace called "The Sneakers Shop" in October 2020. The Sneakers Shop consists of rare game-worn and autographed shoes from Geller's collection, including a

    Nike Air Max 1 signed by Tinker Hatfield, a pair of Reebok Pumps signed by Shaquille O'Neal, and a pair of Michael Jordan's game-worn and autographed Air Jordan 7s.[71][72]

    In November 2020, eBay hosted an auction where 60 pairs of Geller's Air Jordans would be made available every day for ten days straight. Each shoe in the 30-year-old collection was brand new and had its original box.[73][74]

    Selling collection

    A deteriorating Air Jordan with a crumbling sole

    Geller had slowly started selling off his sneaker collection after closing the ShoeZeum in 2012.[75] In a 2014 YouTube video, Geller explained that part of the reason he was selling his shoes was due to the poor shelf life of the polyurethane, a squishy material commonly inserted between the upper and lower soles of sneakers. The degradation of the polyurethane caused some of Geller's sneakers to yellow, and others were completely falling apart. Geller was also frustrated that Nike kept "retroing" (i.e., re-releasing) classic sneaker models.[26]

    After moving to

    storage unit, and a safe deposit box.[14][76] In 2019, Geller told Yahoo! that he will "never stop collecting."[4] Geller's record for the largest sneaker collection has allegedly been broken by three sisters from South Florida who have amassed over 6,000 pairs.[77][78]

    Personal life

    Geller met his wife, Natalie, at sneaker retailer Zappos. Geller commented that "[s]hoes are something that are deeply embedded in our relationship."[11] Nike designer Tinker Hatfield gifted Geller a custom pair of Air Jordan 11s for his wedding, which took place on 11/11.[79][25] Geller has donated to the Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, which has an ongoing partnership with Nike.[19][80]

    See also

    Notes

    1. ^ Geller was certified in May 2012 and his entry was included in the 2013 edition of Guinness World Records.[2]
    2. ^ The Moon Shoes feature a "waffle sole" and got its name as it resembled the pattern astronauts left on the Moon's surface during 1969 Moon landing.[3]
    3. ^ Only a single shoe was found.[31]

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    Further reading

    External links
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