A single rhinestone-studded sock once worn by the late pop icon, Michael Jackson, during a performance in France has been sold at auction for more than $8,000.
The sock, picked up by a technician after Jackson’s 1997 concert in Nîmes, had been left near the dressing room. Almost three decades later, it became the highlight of a French auction, despite its worn appearance.
“It really is an exceptional object, even a cult one for Michael Jackson fans,” said Aurore Illy, the auctioneer who handled the sale.
Jackson wore the white sock, embellished with rhinestones, during his HIStory World Tour. Fans may recall it from his performance of Billie Jean, where he famously paired it with his signature moonwalk.
The auction, held in Nîmes, saw the sock go for 7,688 euros, roughly $8,822. Its original estimate was between 3,000 and 4,000 euros.
Over the years, several of Michael Jackson’s personal items have drawn high bids at auctions around the world. One of the most iconic was his glittery glove worn during his first televised moonwalk in 1983, which fetched $350,000 at a 2009 auction in New York. The buyer, a luxury casino in Macau, later revealed the total purchase cost reached over $420,000.
More recently, a black fedora hat Jackson wore just before that same moonwalk performance was sold in Paris in September 2023. According to reports from Sinar Daily, the hat went under the hammer for 77,640 euros, which was just over $82,000 at the time.
