Of fake and real Jordan sneakers
The Jordan Brand was launched four decades ago and up to now, the sneakers, no matter the model, remains as popular as it was in 1984. Most of the $6.6 billion yearly sales of the brand is attributed to the sneaker lineup, even though Michael Jordan last played an NBA game on his signature pair 21 years ago.
Some wise guy said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but imitators, banking on the brand s masterstroke, had manufactured identical looking sneakers which could be hard to differentiate from the real ones. Consumers had invested their hard-earned money on similar-looking sneakers but don t have the same level of quality as the original products.
The market is awash with counterfeit products from head to toe and everything in between with prices so very good to be true. The most common terms used by sellers to describe these fake products are Unauthorized Real, Factory Variant or Replica.
In a Footwear News article written by Brandon Richards, he outlined some tips to identify the fakes from the authentic the most frequently copied Jordans Jordan 1, Jordan 5, Jordan 9, Jordan 11 and Jordan 13.
Air Jordan 1
The most telltale sign is the AJ1 Wings logo. Fakes have a less distinguishable stitch pattern as compared to the original. The stitching is more pronounced on the real Wings logo, with the basketball stripes more prominent.
The toe on the real pair angles upward a little more. The fake Jordan 1s have large perforations on the toebox whose patterns are distinctly different from the real AJ1s. When viewed from behind, the heel presents an hourglass shape whereas the fakes show a vertical silhouette. There is more spacing between the double stitching below the heel tab on the real pairs.
Black AJ1s usually develop a shiny appearance as they age as compared to fakes that feature matte black leather.
Air Jordan 5
The inner lining should be brighter than the fake pair, more space between the heel overlay and ankle padding. The toe bumper on real pair is shorter with stitches also shorter and more visible. On the tongue, the Jumpman logo s embroidery is more defined on the real pair as compared to a fake pair that appears too thick. The top of the tongue on fake pairs tends to be crooked.
The shark teeth along the midsole of real pairs extends upwards and comes to a sharp point. On the heel, the Jumpman logo is more centered on the real pair as compared to fakes which is closer to the midsole.
Air Jordans with clear soles, as a rule, usually have yellowed spots of oxidation on the outsole over time and the solid-colored rubber is shiny with less texture.
Next week, the Jordan 9, 11 and 13.
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