Vintage 1996 Air Jordan XI Low

In the original box

The Air Jordan 11 Low IE made its way onto the scene in 1995 with the blk/red version, sporting a strikingly different look to its high-top predecessor. In 1996 Nike released this white based version, making the famous Tinker Hatfield’s elephant print stand even better. Instead of a canvas upper, the Air Jordan 11 Low IE features a tumbled leather upper with mesh inserts and Durabuck overlays. From there, a translucent sole adds an icy finish to the newly reissued design.

“We were looking at how we could extend the original performance basketball shoe into something that could further the design, but turn into a low top,” says Hatfield. “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. 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. I changed the pattern to put breathability in the right spots. Then, 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.” Tinker Hatfield