How To Spot Fake Nike SB Dunk Low Instant

Written by
Ch David
nike instant dunk fake vs real guide
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Last Updated on January 10, 2024 by Ch David

The fastest way to spot fake Nike SB Dunk Low Instant is to look at the shoes from the rear side and verify what the “NIKE” text and the triple lines of stitching look like, as every fake pair has its details flawed in terms of thickness and alignment.

We get it – it’s not always easy to authenticate sneakers, and there’s a point where everybody had trouble spotting fake shoes.

Today, we are here to tell you how to spot fake Nike Dunks — the SB Instant Dunks that were released in 2020.

Since the Nike SB Dunk Low releases blew up in 2020, the Instant Dunks are also a cool pair of shoes that we are going to tell you how to authenticate.

In this guide on how to spot fake vs real Nike SB Dunk Instant shoes, we are going to link reference real vs fake Nike SB Dunk Low Instant images so that every step will be clear and easy to follow.

How to tell if Nike SB Dunk Instant is fake

You can tell if Nike SB Dunk Instant is fake by checking if the text on the size tag has thin inscriptions. Numbers, letters, and other symbols must be very thick on an original pair’s size tag.

Let’s go into detail!

1. Rear details

  • The fake pair’s “NIKE” text is too thick, while the legitimate pair has its letters thinner.
  • The letters in the same “NIKE” text are connected with the yellow stitches.
    • Most visible between “N” and “I”.
  • The round yellow stitches below the “NIKE” text are too thin and long on the fake pair.
  • The three yellow stitching lines in the middle of the shoes are too big on the fake Instant SB Dunks.
  • The double-stitching on the blue patch of the shoes is too thin as well.

Authentic Nike Instant Dunks have their letters properly stitched into the shoes, as they don’t have their letters connected, nor are thicker than what they should be like.


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2. Size tag

  • The “CZ5128-400” text (style-code of the Instant Dunks) is too thin on the fake pair.
  • The fake Instant Dunk pair has its “UPC …” text looking too thin.
  • The fake pair has its “MADE IN VIETNAM” lines of text looking too thick.

Back at the authentic Instant SB Dunks, you can see how all of the lines indicate that the shoes were made in Vietnam, you can see how the legit pair has its text thinner.

3. Swoosh

  • The fake pair has stitching on the Nike Swoosh logo at the wrong thickness and shape.
  • The yellow stitching on the logo looks too thin and too long.

Due to this flaw in the fake shoes, the fake pair seems to have yellow stitching too little dense, while the authentic pair has its stitching looking denser.

4. Instant logo

  • The fake pair has its logo’s ears looking too thick, big and somewhat too massive.
  • The fake pair has its there white sharp lines of fur looking too thin and too long.

On the other hand, the ears on the authentic logo are tinier than the ones on the fake pair.

As for the white sharp lines, you can see how they are thicker and bulkier on the authentic Instant Dunks.

A quick mention:

  • The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
  • The next few steps are still reliable methods…
  • … but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item

If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.

5. Front details

Going to the fifth method on how to spot fake Instant Dunks, we are going to look at the real vs fake Instant SB Dunks for their Nike Swoosh logo found on the toe box, as well as the stitching all around the patch.

5.1. Small Swoosh

  • The fake pair has its logo looking too thick, as it fits too deep into the patch.
  • The fake Nike Swoosh logo on the toe box is too small.

5.2. Stitching

  • The fake pair has stitching on the silver part looking too thin and too long.
  • The fake pair has double-stitching lines on the white toe box which look too thin.

Back to the authentic Nike SB Instant Dunks, you can see how their double-stitching line is thicker and more defined than the one found on the fake pair.

6. Tongue

  • The fake pair has its “SB” text looking too thin.
  • The “instant” inscription is too thin as well on the fake SB Dunks.
  • The fake Instant SB Dunks have their red threads at the bottom of the badge looking too thin and small.

On the other hand, the authentic Instant SB Dunk Low pair has its text looking thicker and more defined than the “SB” inscription the fake pair.

As for the stitching, you can see how the real shoes have thicker and bigger threads for the red line.

7. Toe box

  • The fake Instant Dunks have their toe box looking really big.
  • The authentic shoes have their toe box thinner.

Keep in mind that both the Instant Dunk fake vs real pairs highlighted above are unworn, so, their inflation level for the toe box is not affected.

8. Reflectiveness (3M)

We are going to look at the shoes with the lights turned off and with the flashlight on.

  • The fake pair has its 3M reflective material shining too little.
  • The fake Nike SB Dunk Instant pair doesn’t reflect enough light.

On the other hand, if we look back at the authentic Instant Dunks, we can see how they shine more powerfully and stronger than the fake pair’s 3M reflective material.

Shortlist: Tell fake Instant Dunks in 60 seconds

  1. Look at the back of your shoes. The replica Instant SB Dunk Low pairs usually have their “NIKE” text at the wrong thickness, as well as their stitches.
  2. Verify the size tag inside each shoe, as most of the fake pairs present their inscriptions at different font weights than the real deal.
  3. Check the Nike Swoosh logo on the side, because most of the fake pairs have their yellow stitching too thin and too long.
  4. Check the Instant Skateboards logo placed on the side of your shoes. The replica Instant SB Dunk Lows usually have their logo improperly shaped.
  5. Look at the little Nike Swoosh logo found on the toe box. The replica Instant Dunks commonly have their logo too small and their stitching all around the logo looking too thick or too thin.
  6. Analyze the badge on the tongue. In most cases, the fake Instant SB Dunk Lows have their text and stitching improperly shaped, as well as being either too thick or too thin when compared to the real pairs.
  7. Brief the toe box and its inflation level. The replica pairs usually have the toe box either too thick or too thin
  8. Verify the 3M reflective material on the toe box, as the fake pairs usually tend to have their material shining too little strong.

The 8 detailed steps outlined above might not be so practical when you are in a hurry or when you want to buy sneakers online. 

That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to authenticating your sneakers.

Expert Nike x Instant Dunk authentication service

If you need help with the authentication of your Nike SB Dunk Low Instant we’ve got you covered. 

All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Nike SB Dunk Low Instant sneakers and we will get back to you with the results within 24 to 48 hours. The results will also come with a report on why we believe your sneakers are fake or authentic.

That brings us to the end of our real vs fake Nike Dunk Instant legit check guide. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.

Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.

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Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Daniel and Ch David

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About the Author

David is the co-founder and co-CEO of Legit Check By Ch. David's experience: 5+ years of creating educational content in the fashion industry. 6+ years of authenticating luxury items. Currently, David is the Head Editor of the LCBC Library, where 1,000,000+ words have been published, in free guides, for over 1,000 items.
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