Sotheby’s will be auctioning more than 70 sneakers from Stephen Curry‘s “sneaker free agency” period, with proceeds supporting his Oakland-based Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Pulling from a range of brands and moments, including games, tunnel walks and pre-game warm-ups, the online auction will be open for bidding from April 13-28.
The longtime Golden State Warrior star announced in November that he was no longer linked to a specific athletic brand partner, having split from Under Armour after a 12-year partnership. Thus began an unprecedented period in which one of the NBA‘s greatest players of all time had the freedom to wear any sneaker he so pleased for the rest of the season, as speculation rose about what a future partnership could be. The brands Curry repped from around the world included Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, Reebok, Li-Ning, Anta, New Balance, Puma, AND1, DaDa Supreme, On, Hoka and more.
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Described as “a deliberate and highly curated journey” in an official release, the athlete paid homage to fellow basketball players and beyond with his free agency footwear choices, which ranged from retro Air Jordans made for off-court wear to tennis shoes made for Roger Federer — not to mention multiple nods to the WNBA and women’s basketball.
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Curry used his sneakers as storytelling devices, generating buzz with his statement-making shoes. Arriving in San Francisco, for example, he wore the Air Jordan 12 “Flu Game” sneaker, famous for Michael Jordan’s Finals performance against the Utah Jazz — this was seen as a provocative choice. He also paid tribute to Shaquille O’Neal with the Reebok Shaqnosis in Orlando and wore the Nike Sabrina 3 in support of Sabrina Ionescu while the WNBA star was in attendance.
“I’ve always believed that every pair of sneakers tells a story,” Curry said in a statement. “This collection really captures a unique chapter for me during my sneaker free agency this season. From the tunnel walks to the on-court warm-ups to the games across the country, I was excited to spend this time shining a light on players over the years who have left their mark on the sneaker game.”
The NBA star continued, “What makes this even more special is the impact it can have off the court. Every dollar raised will support Eat. Learn. Play. — the foundation that I cofounded with Ayesha — where we focus on the everyday needs that shape a child’s future with access to food, literacy and safe places to play and grow.”
Among the highlights of the auction is the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita,” which showcases a colorway honoring Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, made in partnership with Vanessa Bryant; Curry wore the style as a pre-game warm-up shoe the day after announcing his free agency. Another sneaker in the lineup is the Sabrina Nike 3, showcased in a custom “By You” colorway in a January game against the New York Knicks — fittingly, Ionescu plays for the New York Liberty. The sneakers include his number 30, his initials WSC and his mantra “I Can Do All Things.”
A third example is the All-Star Weekend Adidas AE 1 Low “Gold Medal” PE which Curry wore during All-Star Saturday media day and portrait sessions in February; he also shared a vlog from the weekend in which he was seen working out in the shoe. The sneaker was made for Anthony Edwards after he won his first Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Curry was captain of the squad and helped lead the team to victory; personalizations on the sneakers include his WSC initials and his Olympic #4 on the collar.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables, said in a statement, “What elevates Stephen Curry’s sneaker free agency is the stature of the man at its center. Curry isn’t simply one of the defining players of his generation, he’s one of the rare athletes who fundamentally changed the way basketball is played, coached, and understood. No player of that magnitude has navigated sneaker free agency under this kind of global spotlight, where every decision is seen, shared, and interpreted in real time. Each pair represents a moment in basketball history, carrying a significance unlike anything previously seen in sneaker culture. To have the privilege of presenting them at auction to benefit Eat. Learn. Play. is where culture meets purpose at its most powerful.”