How to Tell If Your Jordan Shoes Are Fake

Air Jordan shoes are arguably the most popular basketball shoes ever created. Some people will take advantage of this fact and try to sell fake Air Jordans either online or on the street. These shoes can be sold at a much cheaper price than the authentic Jordan shoes, making them alluring. People unfamiliar with the various different Jordan shoes may not be able to tell the difference between authentic and fake shoes.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Know your Air Jordans. Make yourself familiar with all the designs of the version of Air Jordans that you want to purchase. Some individuals will place the "Jumpman" or "23" logo on other shoes, such as ones made by Reebok. They may even place the logo on a Nike shoe. Just because the shoes are authentic Nikes, you shouldn't assume that the shoes are Air Jordans. Go to the official "Jumpman23" website (see Resources below) to view every pair of Air Jordans ever released.

2. Inspect the "Jumpman" logo. This logo should be embroidered, not painted, on the shoe. If it is painted on, the Air Jordans are fake. Also, the thumb in the hand not holding the basketball should be pointed in toward the body.

3. Look at the gloss on the Air Jordans. A fake Jordan shoe will be duller in color around the entire shoe. This includes the bottoms of the shoes. If you can't see a picture of the bottom of the shoes, or if the person selling you the shoe won't allow you to see the bottom of the shoes, it should be a red flag that the Jordan shoes are fake.

4. Check out the tag. Know what the tag on your particular pair of Air Jordans should say. For example, some editions of Air Jordans will have the phrase "Jumpman Jordan" written on the tag, while others will simply say "JAM." Learning this information will allow you to spot fake tags and thus spot fake Jordan shoes.

5. Examine the outside of the Air Jordans for little imperfections. For example, the fabric may have little zigzags (or triangles) on the side of the shoes. Authentic Jordan shoes are made precisely and will not have these marks. If the designs on the shoes are not symmetrical, the shoes are definitely fake.

6. Notice if the Jordan shoes lean to one side or the other. Fake shoes made with low-quality materials may be heavier on one side, causing the other side to "cave in" toward the middle of the shoe. This will never happen with real Air Jordans.

Tips & Warnings

• Go by the price of the Air Jordans. If the shoes cost less than $100, they're almost guaranteed to be fake.

Resources

• Jumpman23 website