On a brisk Wednesday in November at St. Ann’s School on 110th Street in Harlem, the fifth-grade students lined the sometimes gymnasium, sometimes auditorium for an afternoon play session. It was always a highly-anticipated day, not only because of the activities, but because it was the only day the rrquisite dress shoes and clip-on ties remained in the closet.

Gone were the polyester and thin baby blue button-up shirts. Instead, the students were wrapped in a navy blue sweat suit bearing the St. Ann’s name.

The more fortunate students added flair to the uniform, outfitting themselves with the most popular designer sneakers of the time. The class sizes were small, so the select few boys with the latest pairs stood out. Ten-year-old celebrities, they were.

At this time, the most popular was the ninth sneaker in Michael Jordan’s signature collection, gracefully titled the Air Jordan IX.

As the students lined into formation for their stretches, one child could only focus on another’s sneakers in front of him. Unmatched in their simplicity at the time, the minimalist design mastered enough subtleties to turn a glance into a gaze. The red No. 23 and Jumpman logo didn’t dominate the shoe, but it left no room for doubt. A black nubuck-looking material wrapped the white leather, accented by a shinier black along the midsole. The design was classic.

But all this child could do was admire from a distance. In a life of limited luxury, a request for a new pair of sneakers — let alone those bearing the costly Jordan logo — was a difficult one to accommodate given the financial circumstance. In brief, they were too expensive. And that was okay.

Jordan Brand found it in their hearts (and schedule) to re-release the sneaker. And then re-release it again. And re-release it in some more colorways. The picture above features the “Citrus” design, released July 1, 2010. The lighter orange isn’t the varsity red synonymous with Jordan sneakers, but not many releases still follow that standard.

And now, that distracted child who admired other people’s sneakers from a distance gets to share his Citrus IX Jordan sneakers here.