The Jordan Brand is kicking off 2023 – its “Jordan Year” – with an exclusive auction that hip-hop fans may want to hear about.

The Jordan Brand is partnering with Sotheby’s and The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation to host an online auction of limited edition “Christopher Wallace Air Jordan 13s” to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and Michael Jordan's iconic jersey number.

The shoes were originally created in 2017 to celebrate rap icon Biggie Smalls' 45th birthday, but remained under lock and key until now.

“2023 being the 'Jordan year,' they felt that this was the time to bring them out into the world. We have 23 exclusive pairs here at Sotheby’s,” said Brahm Wachter, head of Streetwear & Modern Collectibles at Sotheby’s.

The kicks are detailed with Biggie’s profile on the tongue and song lyrics like, “It was all a dream,” on the inside. “We tied Biggie into it – the influences of Biggie – the lumberjack with the hat to match,” explained Wayne Burrow, co-chairperson of The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation. “There's hidden gems within the actual shoe that kind of ties to Biggie and I think that in itself is what sets it apart. That's what makes it nostalgic to me – it is not just a Jordan branded shoe.”

All proceeds from the auction will go to The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, a foundation created by Biggie’s mother after his passing to empower youth and give back to the community, primarily through education and membership programs. The funds from the sale will enable the foundation to continue to support their initiatives.

“We're going to start in Brooklyn and then we're going to branch out to various cities and kind of partner with different organizations that are more universal in their scope from educational standpoint and allow, again, the opportunity for kids to get something better than what they see every day in a lot of different communities across the board, especially in inner cities,” said Barrow.

So far, Sotheby’s has raised over $200,000 to benefit the foundation.

Keeping with the ‘23’ theme, the online auction began on Jan. 23, 2023 at 10:23 a.m. and will run until Feb. 3, closing at 2:23 p.m. Bids started as low as $1 and are running as high, for certain pairs, as $26,000.