Biggie Smalls is an icon of epic proportion, so it’s no surprise that his limited edition Air Jordan XIII‘s fetched bids of over $30,000 at auction this week.
The Sotheby’s auction closed on Friday (February 3), and each of the 23 pairs of Air Jordan XIIIs sold, with the highest bid seeing a 9.5 and 10.5 go for $32,760 each.
AD LOADING...
The Christopher Wallace Air Jordan XIII was created through a partnership with Jordan Brand and the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation to celebrate February 3, 2023 — or 2/3/23, representing NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan‘s jersey number — the commencement of the “Jordan Year.”
This specific colorway of MJ’s 13th signature shoe was created in 2017 on Biggie’s 45th birthday but has been kept under wraps since. The late rapper’s inclusion on the sneaker is in honor of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary.
The sneaker comes with a black and anthracite upper with images and phrases that celebrate the Notorious B.I.G., his legacy, and the belief and determination of the icon throughout. The tongue features a silhouette of Big Poppa and a black and red flannel-designed sock liner and insoles.
The Biggie imagery continues on the tongue tag with the phrases “It was all a dream” and “If you don’t know, now you know” and the word “dream” stamped on the metal aglets.
According to a post on the rapper’s official Instagram page, all proceeds from the auction will go to the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, which “aims to empower inner-city youth with educational learning instruments, sponsorships, grants and community-based mentorship programs and campaigns, all in line with its motto, ‘Think B.I.G.’ Books Instead of Guns.'”
The Christopher Wallace Air Jordan XIII is the latest initiative in support of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday this year. In Biggie’s hometown of New York City, Grandmaster Flash, Roxanne Shante and other rap legends visited the Big Apple’s City Hall last November to announce planned celebrations for Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary and said they would begin slowly rolling out this year.
AD LOADING...
“Today, hip hop legends came together at City Hall to announce @uhhmuseum and NYC’s plan to celebrate hip hop’s 50th anniversary in 2023,” Flash wrote on Instagram. “It’s going to be big – I can’t wait to get started.”
