Unreleased Notorious B.I.G. Air Jordan 13s Raise $510k at Sotheby’s

This story was first published on January 25, 2023.

Update February 6, 2023: Bidding on the 23 pairs of Notorious B.I.G. Air Jordan 13s has ended at Sotheby’s, smashing expectations and netting $510,300 across the lots. The proceeds will go towards The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, which supports inner-city youth education.

‘We are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming generosity, support and engagement we have seen not only from Biggie fans, hip-hop fans and sneakerheads but also Jordan fans. The Jordan Brand and Sotheby’s for combining their efforts to create an incredible opportunity to raise money to bring forth initiatives that will empower our communities and reinforce our mission as an organization. For us, B.I.G. stands for Books Instead of Guns, and we are thrilled to continue to push our inner city communities forward through our core pillars of programming: education, mentorship and community building. We cannot thank everyone enough for their support on this outstanding campaign,’ said Wayne Barrow, co-chair of The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation.

Sotheby’s are auctioning 23 pairs of unreleased Notorious B.I.G. Air Jordan 13s to kick off Jordan Brand’s big 2023. Created back in 2017 to mark the late Christopher Wallace’s 45th birthday but never released to the public, this auction event marks the first time the shoes have ever hit the market.

Auctioned in collaboration with the ‘Jordan Year’ 2023 campaign, this serendipitous year also happens to coincide with MJ’s famous #23 jersey number and the 50th birthday of hip-hop, according to the brand. As such, only 23 pairs of these AJ13s will be available.

The predominately black colourway is riddled with nods to the legendary NY rapper. Biggie’s silhouette is printed on the tongues in place of the Jumpman logos, and lyrics to his famous song ‘Juicy’ are depicted on the backside. Red-and-black flannel lines the shoes in reference to his signature dress style.

Bidding is currently open for the shoes, which have already smashed estimates of $2300–5200, and one of two size 13 pairs has already hit $11,000. The auction closes on February 3, with a public viewing of the lots possible via Sotheby’s New York.