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We have all been
there – watching
that damn eBay
auction for a
pair of killer
kicks, but
something is
just not right.
The price isn't
nearly as high
as it should be,
and that raises
a few red flags.
You know you’re
not the only one
into these
kicks. Hell, the
counter is up to
300, so a ton of
people are
looking at it –
time to do some
fact checking.
Luckily you are
educated enough
in the sneaker
world to know
something is
wrong. Just
think of all the
parents out
there wanting to
buy their kids
that pair of XIs
that they just
won't let them
forget about.
They don't know
if it is real or
fake – they just
know the price
is right. And
even if they
thought the
shoes could be
fake, they sit
back and think
of that nice
Prada purse they
picked up on
Fulton street –
and nobody could
tell the
difference!
Well, that is
what they think
anyway. I'm sure
a number of
people into
purses spotted
her goat leather
humiliation a
mile away. And
yeah – the poor
kid gets hosed,
as he does end
up getting the
“bestest”
birthday present
to date: a
fake-ass pair of
shoes that he
knows no one
will let slide.
Back to our
auction. No
doubt we can’t
know every
detail about
every fake made,
and the good
news is that you
don’t need to.
On the Sole
Collector forums
there is an area
dedicated to
fakes. In fact,
there isn’t one
forum – there
are two. One is
dedicated to
teaching people
how to spot
fakes, and the
other is a legit
check forum.
Between the two
they currently
have almost
4,000 posts.
Click here to
check out the
"How to spot
fakes" forum.
Click here to
check out the
"Legit Check"
forum.
Way back in the
premier issue of
Sole Collector,
I wrote an
article
detailing the
differences
between the real
and fake Jordan
XIs. Below are
some of the
graphics from
the article.
 
This photo
always kills me.
Why even put in
an air bag when
it is this
thin?! But, to
be honest, this
is one of the
few major items
that
differentiate
fakes from the
real thing. I've
shown many
"seasoned"
collectors a
pair of
Black/Red XIs
that are fake,
and not one
person has been
able to tell me
they are fake –
until they put
them on. Then it
becomes obvious
through the
horrible feel.
 
This photo shows
a little more
graphically the
difference
between the real
midsole and the
fake midsole.
Another part of
the shoe that
never seems to
be exactly right
is the carbon
fiber – if you
can even call
whatever is in
the fake shoes
carbon fiber.
 
Back in the day,
the easiest way
to tell the
difference
between the real
XI and the fake
XI was to
inspect the
Jumpman logo.
But to be
honest, some of
the real
Jumpmans
occasionally
look way off,
like the OG
Concords. Look
at that
skinny-ass
chicken leg!
Nicole Richie
legs or not - it
is from the real
deal.
Article /
Photos: Steve
Mullholand |
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