Hype kills, especially when it comes to sneakers, but every once in a while, a release comes around that is worthy of all the talk. The Air Jordan 11 IE Low Referee is one of those sneakers and it's much-deserved hype can be attributed to the interesting backstory surrounding its seemingly innocuous all-black colorway.

Here's the story. Due to the NBA uniform regulations, referees had to wear all-black sneakers and were outfitted with this colorway during the 1995 - 1996 season. Black tumbled leather and nubuck meet along the upper while an ice black outsole houses a red carbon fiber shank for support and a pop of stylish flare. These are far from your average boring black referee shoes, which makes them one of the more sought-after Jordan Brand releases over the years.

The seekers shall find these retailing for $170 a pair on on Sept. 26, which is presumably a lot cheaper than the kicks on eBay.

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