words // Brandon Richard
For years, one of the great mysteries in the sneaker game was the meaning behind the "IE" in the name of the Air Jordan XI Low. Guesses ranged from "In Elephant" to "Imprinted Elephant" to the Latin "id est," commonly used to provide an example at the end of a sentence in the English language. While none of those answers are correct, Nike has finally gone to great lengths to get us the answer that we covet.
In association with the midnight release of the Air Jordan Retro 11 Low IE, the NikeStore Twitter account revealed that the "IE" simply stands for International Exclusive. Sound the bells and whistles - we have an answer. According to NikeStore, that answer was provided by Jordan Brand International General Manager Gentry Humphrey and not even designer Tinker Hatfield knew what it meant.
Now that you know, head over to NikeStore to pick up the Air Jordan Retro 11 Low International Exclusive (which aren't, and never have been an international exclusive) today.
