Fake Air Jordan I
One of the most faked Air Jordans ever because they are easy and cheap to duplicate. Be very cautious when purchasing Air Jordan I. It takes an experienced eye to pick out fakes. The basic guidelines are :

1) Cut of the leather, especially the flex notch in the toebox area.
2) The cut, shape and position of the Nike SWOOSH.
3) The ankle collar area. The texture and proportions.
4) The tags on the shoe tongue.
5) The NIKE AIR logo imprint on the insoles. Check the font type and size, and the Nike Swoosh.
6) The shape of the outsole. The original 1985 outsoles are longer in shape and better contoured. The 1994 retros and 2001 retros then to be slighly shorter and less contoured especially midsole up.
7) Stitching. The threads used in the 1985 originals are thicker and less wound up than the retros. The stitching is also neater and clean.
8) Leather in the 1985 originals tend to be thicker and solid. Although the surface quality is sometime poor is some areas because of poorer leather tanning methods during that period.
9) The shoe laces. The shape and texture is different for different periods. The 1985 ones are thicker and rougher than the 2001 retros.
10) The ventilations holes on the toebox are slighly larger in the 1985 originals. Probably due to the thicker and more stretchable leather used in those days.


Below are poorly made fakes. The outsoles are completely wrong, everything's wrong.


Fake 2001 Retros from China and Hong Kong
Below are extremely good fakes of 2001 Retros Air Jordan I. 90% of the shoes auctioned on eBay are fakes. Most fakes come from China and Hong Kong. These are extremely high quality fakes. It's very difficult to tell from the pictures, but you know it's fake by :

1) Texture of the leather. The fake ones look like they are made from pig skin, which is stiffer and rougher. On closer inspection, you can see pig-hair bristling in between the stitching.
2) The Jumpman keychain shows glue stain from dirty fingerprints. The reverse side of the keychain shows that the keychain hole is made from different steel. It looks like it's fused/welded. The genuine ones are solid and shiny one piece metal construction.
3) The retro card is thinner and less glossy than the originals. The "orangy" sky background is not dark enough and the red colour at the back is slightly bright red.

4) The sponge padding in the tongue is sparse. It should be well padded.

5) Although it's not obvious in the photos, the colour of the outsoles are BRIGHT red. It should be red. And the rubber feels a bit plasticky. It doesn't feel solid. The "stars" are too prominent.


More recent fakes from eBay...


Photos from www.ebay.com

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