A dirty white sock once worn by the King of Pop has moonwalked its way back into the spotlight.
The rhinestone-covered sock, worn by Michael Jackson during a 1997 show in the city of Nîmes, sold Wednesday for €7,688 — about $8,911 — at an auction house in southern France.
The off-white stained sock, originally white and studded with crystal rhinestones, was discovered by a technician backstage after Jackson’s HIStory World Tour performance. The sock was then preserved in a frame for 28 years, according to a French auctioneer.
“It really is an exceptional object — even a cult one for Michael Jackson fans,” auctioneer Aurore Illy told AFP.
The sock was worn during Jackson’s tour, which hit 35 countries and included 82 shows. Footage from it shows him performing “Billie Jean” in the sparkling footwear.
Auctioneers had estimated the item to be between €3,000 and €4,000, but it nearly doubled expectations.
Though Jackson’s legacy remains controversial due to longstanding child molestation allegations — which he and his estate denied — the market for his memorabilia continues to thrive.
A Macau casino shelled out $350,000 in 2009 for the glittery glove he wore during his first televised moonwalk in 1983.
In 2023, a Paris buyer paid over $80,000 for a fedora Jackson wore before that same performance. Months later, a black-and-white leather jacket from his 1984 Pepsi ad sold for $306,000.
Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 from a fatal drug overdose.
