Tomorrow marks the release of an exciting new colorway theme for the Jordan Retro – Militia Green. Included in this off-the-court set is the Air Jordan 1.5, the Air Jordan 1 KO, and the Air Jordan 11 IE, the first-ever low-top Jordan sneaker since the Air Jordan III debuted in 1988. There’s no need to point out the change in design from XI to XI IE, but Tinker Hatfield just gave a succinct explanation as to why patent leather was removed for this alternate version of the shoe. Simply put, he felt patent leather wasn’t exactly “Summer” as it was stiffer and heavier, so he went with cut-out vents and a class elephant print look. Of course tomorrow’s release won’t feature elephant print, but will instead debut a reptilian effect by way of a croc-skin mudguard. Grab the entire Air Jordan Retro “Militia Green” Collection tomorrow at select Jordan Brand retailers worldwide.
“I felt like [patent leather] was contrary to the summer feel,” Hatfield explains. “The shoe didn’t need to feel so stiff and heavy. For the summer, I wanted something that was lighter and easier to wear.”