NIMES, FRANCE – A single, glittery sock worn by the late pop superstar Michael Jackson during a concert in France in the 1990s has sold for more than $8,000 (£6,200) at auction. The unique piece of memorabilia was discovered by a technician near Jackson’s dressing room after a concert in the southern city of Nimes in July 1997, according to auctioneer Aurore Illy.
Jackson famously wore white athletic socks adorned with rhinestones during his “HIStory World Tour” in 1997, and they can be seen in clips of him performing his iconic hit “Billie Jean.” Decades later, the off-white sock shows signs of age, with stains and yellowed rhinestones, as depicted in images on the interencheres.com website.
“It really is an exceptional object — even a cult one for Michael Jackson fans,” Illy stated. The sock, initially valued between 3,000 to 4,000 euros ($3,400-4,500), ultimately fetched 7,688 euros ($8,822) at the Nimes auction house on Wednesday.
This sale follows other high-profile auctions of Jackson’s personal items. In 2009, a Macau gaming resort paid $350,000 for a glittery glove Jackson wore when he performed his first “moonwalk” dance in 1983. More recently, a hat he wore just before that same performance sold for over $80,000 in Paris in 2023.
Michael Jackson died of a fatal overdose in 2009 at the age of 50. Despite child molestation accusations against him during his lifetime and after his death, which he and his estate have consistently denied, he continues to maintain a substantial global fan base.
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