Michael Jackson’s most iconic stagewear poised to fetch record-breaking sum at auction

Michael Jackson’s legendary gloves, loafers and “Thriller” jacket are headed to auction — with the iconic items estimated to fetch well over $1 million.

Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions on Wednesday unveiled four pieces worn by Jackson ahead of a December auction in Abu Dhabi.

The items on offer are rhinestone-studded glove and loafers the King of Pop donned when he debuted the Moonwalk on the 1983 “Motown 25” TV special, as well the red-and-black leather jacket and loafers he sported in the “Thriller” music video.

“The Thriller jacket is the one the world has never stopped talking about, and we are thrilled to unveil it alongside the rhinestone-studded glove Michael Jackson wore when he debuted the moonwalk,” said Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions.

He added that the pieces carry “a moment that changed pop culture forever.”

The famous Motown 25 glove is billed as the “Holy Grail of Michael Jackson memorabilia” and carries the highest estimated bid of the collection, at $600,000 to $800,000, according to the auction’s official website.

The item last went to auction in November 2009, when Hong Kong businessman Hoffman Ma bought it at Julien’s for a then-record $430,000. Over the past 17 years, it has been shown as a major cultural attraction, drawing fans from around the world.

The black leather Florsheim Como moc-toe tassel loafers that Jackson wore in 1983 while performing “Billie Jean” in rehearsals for the NBC special, where he unveiled the Moonwalk to the public, are estimated to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000.

The estimated value of Jackson’s black and candy-red, calf-leather jacket from the 1983 “Thriller” video is only available upon request. It has silver cuff buckles, a red silk lining, a Trapunto-stitched collar and winged shoulders. It bears a “Marc Laurent Paris” label and is inscribed inside, “To Bush and Dennis All My Love Michael Jackson.”

It is one of two jackets made for the video. The other was deliberately shredded for the music video’s zombie scenes and is kept by Jackson’s estate, which has displayed it at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“This is the only jacket worn by Jackson during the portions of the video when he is not in zombie makeup,” the auction’s website said.

The loafers worn in the “Thriller” video and its rehearsals are also up for auction and are estimated at $30,000 to $50,000. The pair is size 9.5, and each sole is scored and inscribed with “MJ Thriller Shoes.”

The pair comes with a signed letter dated Dec. 18, 1983, from Jackson to the video’s choreographer, Michael Peters.

“The dancing told the story without needing words, and that’s something special,” Jackson wrote, saying that he wanted Peters to have the shoes. “I hope they remind you of what we made together and how important your part was in it.”

All the items will be sold during “Michael Jackson: The Fashion Legacy Auction,” part of Julien’s Celebrity & Pop Culture Experience.

The auction will take place live from the Rosewood Abu Dhabi from Dec. 7–9, 2026. The pieces will travel across the US and to Japan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates before the sale.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters