While most ardent Jordan collectors are eagerly awaiting the 4th quarter releases such as the 'Bred IV's and XI's, Jordan Brand wil be dropping a couple of new colorways for the under-appreciated retro IX's. One is an all-new colorway while the other is a variation of a shoe released in 2002. The 'French Blue' drop is based on the early decade release, although the newer version doesn't sport the same color scheme as its predecessor.

One obvious addition to the shoe is an outsole which appears to feature a 'glow in the dark' effect.

The 'Photo Blue' IX is eerily close to being an Orlando Magic inspired colorway, a black upper is highlighted by 'Photo Blue' stitching, eyelets and Jordan Branding throughout the shoe. No concrete release dates have been set for these pairs, but expect them to drop sometime later in the year - perhaps in between the other retro IX releases such as the 'Olive' expected in October/November.

Are these colorways a must cop, or a pass?

French Blue IX

Photo Blue IX