Mystery Solved? Air Jordan XI Low "I.E." Name

vegetaray123 said:
Fellas...You have to keep in mind that in the old day's the box tags really didn't follow a set pattern for each and every release...I'd go as far as to say they were almost an afterthought...That being said you'll find that OG labeling was all over the place, even on same model shoes...
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Could you expand on this? Do you mean it varies between color ways, or it varies between kids / adults, or do you mean even the same exact size and color might have a different label?

I have found them to be relatively consistent within a given year and style to be honest. Most of the variations are just among different years and between Baby / Sky / Big Kids / Adult within the same year.

The biggest variant I have personally ever found was a pair of OG Baby VII in the Black/True Red color way that used the box style of the AJ VIII. It is almost certainly the original box and label. This was probably just some sort of late production run where they switched over to the newer style boxes.
 
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ssmf88 said:
Could you expand on this? Do you mean it varies between color ways, or it varies between kids / adults, or do you mean even the same exact size and color might have a different label?

I have found them to be relatively consistent within a given year and style to be honest. Most of the variations are just among different years and between Baby / Sky / Big Kids / Adult within the same year.

The biggest variant I have personally ever found was a pair of OG Baby VII in the Black/True Red color way that used the box style of the AJ VIII. It is almost certainly the original box and label. This was probably just some sort of late production run where they switched over to the newer style boxes.
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There have been more than a few posts pop on here over the years regarding OG box labels that show inconsistencies...This was including same model ~ color way's having different labeling and could have been anything from different font to misspelled words...Aside from the product code then everything else could've been taken with a grain of salt...The most glaring one I remember off the top of my head was an OG Foamposite One purchased at a Nike Outlet store where the label said "FAOMPOSITE"...No kidding...

I purchased a pair of NOS Shadow X's from a local Copeland's Sports around 1999 in their original box that had the shoe name as "Air Jordan IX"...Correct product code with color description but with the incorrect shoe name...

All that is relative though since, while it was certainly more common than today's releases, it was still somewhat rare...The biggest all out mistake being the release of this "Jordan Low" model...It really shows what low priority shoe numbering, label accuracy (etc...) was when Tinker Hatfield couldn't even explain why the shoe had the "I.E." attached and he's the person who designed the damn things...I think somebody else mentioned this already in this thread...

I very much remember that the X was the first shoe in my neck of the woods that people starting calling them the "10's" generally before that it was always "Jordans" or "New Jordans"...The whole thing just really didn't rank as high on the importance scale as it would by today's market...
 
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Just to expand on my last...

Go back and take a look at some of the old Nike Commercials...Jordan's in particular...See if you can find anywhere it say's "Jordan VIII" or "Jordan 6" etc...

Point is two fold...First the market was very much future oriented in that absolutely nobody cared about the previous generation of sneakers (Outside of shoe heads of course) thus focus was never put on numbering...Second the majority consumer didn't care to look at, save, or otherwise care about the shoes box and it's label...This is of course completely reverse of this now a day's but I suppose that's progression for ya...Bottom line is that accuracy, while certainly achieved 95% of the time, was still placed on the back burner for shoes at the period...This is why we end up with "Sky-Jordan" ~ "Air Jordan" ~ "Air Jordan VII" Etc...It was just wasn't a priority...This easily fits in with the OP's description of the "Jordan Low I.E."...Somebody in a factory someplace accidentally added the "I.E." to the wrong line on the label and the rest is history...
 
vegetaray123 said:
There have been more than a few posts pop on here over the years regarding OG box labels that show inconsistencies...This was including same model ~ color way's having different labeling and could have been anything from different font to misspelled words...Aside from the product code then everything else could've been taken with a grain of salt...The most glaring one I remember off the top of my head was an OG Foamposite One purchased at a Nike Outlet store where the label said "FAOMPOSITE"...No kidding...

I purchased a pair of NOS Shadow X's from a local Copeland's Sports around 1999 in their original box that had the shoe name as "Air Jordan IX"...Correct product code with color description but with the incorrect shoe name...

All that is relative though since, while it was certainly more common than today's releases, it was still somewhat rare...The biggest all out mistake being the release of this "Jordan Low" model...It really shows what low priority shoe numbering, label accuracy (etc...) was when Tinker Hatfield couldn't even explain why the shoe had the "I.E." attached and he's the person who designed the damn things...I think somebody else mentioned this already in this thread...

I very much remember that the X was the first shoe in my neck of the woods that people starting calling them the "10's" generally before that it was always "Jordans" or "New Jordans"...The whole thing just really didn't rank as high on the importance scale as it would by today's market...
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Thanks for the stories...appreciate any info!
 
Probably the best READ on a Niketalk thread I've read in awhile. I have a Jordan 11 Space Jam that has a typo with the box reading AIR JORDNA" on it so I'm sure it was mistake that was unnoticed that brings us to them having being called IE.
 
RVD26 said:
All this talk has me hoping that they release these again.
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if you want the white/grey, just get them on ebay they don't go for much over what a new retail would cost from what I've seen. I picked up a deadstock pair about 2 years ago for under $150 in size 13.

I hate what they did to the black/red, so I personally would have to go OG on those which could get hard to find / expensive.

But honestly, I like Nike to keep some things sacred. The OG Black / Red would be a good shoe to keep unretro'd (faithfully anyway)
 
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jacksodk said:
Never understood why they were called aj 11 low. The number 11 was never on the box. I figured because they came out right after the og black/red 11's and was a totally different show and was out of normal release cycle for jordan's then, it was called the 11 low. I just figured the e in i.e. was for elephant print, but could never figure out the i. Lol
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This.
All air jordans from 1 to 11 never had a numbering on the original release label.
They were all just called Air Jordan.
The Aj 12 taxis which released on november 20th 1996 were the very first air jordan to have "XII" on the box.
Strangely the og 13 black toes again did not have XIII on the box label but just called "Air Jordan".
 
jumpman cbt2 said:
This.
All air jordans from 1 to 11 never had a numbering on the original release label.
They were all just called Air Jordan.
The Aj 12 taxis which released on november 20th 1996 were the very first air jordan to have "XII" on the box.
Strangely the og 13 black toes again did not have XIII on the box label but just called "Air Jordan".
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We discussed this a bit earlier in this thread.

The Adult Aqua Air Jordan VIII were labeled "Air Jordan 8" on the label. The Black 8s just said Air Jordan, and I'm unsure of the White/Red.

View media item 597752
Also, throughout the years several of the big kids sizes had roman numerals (some V and VI come to mind)

View media item 597762
View media item 597760
 
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One of my all time fav Mikes. for both sentimental reason and just overall. design, comfort, on these...forget about iiitt!... lol I do wish they'd bring them back. Both black and red, and og cobalts. Those white & black pair a few years ago were solid too. I shouldn't have napped on those
ohwell.gif
 
Still one of my favorite Jordan lows. Still have my retro+ ones. Never was able to get the Cobalts or Blk/Red ones, and when I could, quality was terrible imo
 
interesting thread. I always thought they were the first 11s design and then they had went with the patent leather design or some ish like that. I definitely miss my white and grey ones
 
I was wearing the 07' maize azure LS the other day at the mall. It had teens with their foams and concord lows turning heads.
 
These are 2 of my grails. I remember getting in trouble as a kid and my didn't buy these for me smh.would LOVE proper retro's of these.
 
It's always bugged me how these are referred to as the XI IE Low's when they were never orignally called that, it was just a part of the color code for the White/Cobalt pair.

Maybe I.E. stands for imprinted elephant? :lol
 
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