STRATFORD, Ont. - A shoe worn and autographed by pop star Justin Bieber has sold on eBay for US$1,425.

The 17-year-old singing sensation from Stratford, Ont. donated his purple Nike sneaker to help out his former high school.

The buyer, a 52-year-old Kitchener man, says he bought the shoe to help Stratford Northwestern Secondary School fulfil its goal of building a broadcasting studio.

Jim Mitchell says he's excited to get the shoe and still has butterflies in his stomach from the thrill of the bidding race. He got his bid in only moments before the auction closed at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

"Anything that helps to build something or provide opportunities for people who are interested in any type of arts and communications, I enjoy that," Mitchell said in an interview.

The sneaker was first sold for US$5,500 on eBay last month, but the sale fell through after it was revealed that an Edmonton girl had placed the bid without asking her mother first.

"I sort of warned my parents that I was doing this," Mitchell said with a laugh.

He said he's going to hold on to the shoe and "see what happens in the future."

"I'm not a teenage girl who is madly in love with Justin Bieber," said Mitchell.

But Mitchell admits he enjoys Bieber's music and is looking forward to seeing what the school does with the money. Keith Edwards, a teacher at the school, says the project will cost upwards of $3,000.

The school has not decided what to do with the left shoe yet, but has said it may auction it off or sell it to the second highest bidder.

Mitchell said he is in communication with the school to determine how the shoe will be transferred to him. He's considering a trip to Stratford to pick it up personally and to be photographed next to the teen's old locker.