People are in for a real treat this weekend when the never-before-released Jordan XI IE low "Referee" hits stores. The question now is whether or not this shoe was truly made for referees like most people, including us, have reported. That nickname has been attached to this sneaker since the first images leaked but now sneaker expert Gary Warnett has presented some evidence to suggest that this was actually a scratched sample sneaker.
Despite there being truth to NBA referees wearing these during the 1995-96 season, Warnett recently shared a 1996 catalog clip that displays the all-black XI lows next to the much more recognizable white and "Cement Grey" colorway.
What's even more compelling is that it shows the all-black colorway in kid's sizes, too, as if it was truly intended to be general release and then later nixed. To back up his tale, and make us all a little jealous, Warnett shared a story about another person scoring multiple samples of these all-black XIs at a sports shop:
We don't know about you, but all of this mystery behind this sneaker is just adding to its appeal. Read the rest of the story here.
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