The Jordan XI Low IE is one of the most polarizing sneakers in the entire Air Jordan lineage. There are those who thought it was borderline blasphemous to remove the XI's signature patent leather, and then there are 'heads that actually preferred it to the O.G. Whatever the case, the man behind the design is finally shedding some light on why it happened in the first place.
"I wasn't interested in an exact replica of a XI in a low top; I was more interested in doing a low top that was partly the Jordan XI, but fresher," Tinker Hatfield said. "I felt like [patent leather] was contrary to the summer feel. The shoe didn't need to feel so stiff and heavy. For the summer, I wanted something that was lighter and easier to wear."
Makes sense to us — who wants to walk around drenched in sweat all for the sake of stunting in patent leather? Hatfield altered the upper to include a mesh underlay in place of the patent, which was then capped off with a layer of elephant print.
"When you look at the different compositions, you want to fill in the gaps with something that could be decorative, like elephant print. I thought about trying textures and stitching. The mesh said something about summer, and the stitching we did really artfully," Hatfield said.
The Air Jordan XI Low IE returns tomorrow, Saturday 19, in a brand new snakeskin "Militia Green" colorway for $170.
