How To Tell if Jordan 1 Mid Are Fake (2023)

Last Updated on August 28, 2023 by Ch David

While the size tag’s thick text is a dead giveaway, there are subtle imperfections only known to die-hard sneakerheads. Do you know them all

Wondering how to authenticate Air Jordan 1 Mid sneakers? Then you are for sure in the right place to do so.

In this fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Mid guide, we are going to teach you how to spot fake Jordan 1 Mid in just a few simple steps.

Step-by-step, we are going to link reference real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Mid images for you to compare your shoes.

This guide works for any Air Jordan 1 Mid colourway you want to legit check.

Alternatively, check out our other general colourway guides: Jordan 1 High and Jordan 1 Low.

With all of this being said, let’s move on to the proper Air Jordan 1 Mid fake vs real guide.

How to know if your Jordan 1 Mid is legit or fake

The best way to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Mid is to check the size tag inside each shoe, as the fake pairs never have their text on the size tag correctly font-weighted and aligned.

Authentic pairs have text on the size tag that is always correctly font-weighted and positioned.

1. Size tag

In the fake vs real Mid Air Jordan 1 image above:

• The colourway/product ID code (top right corner) is too thin on the fake pair.
• The “MADE IN VIETNAM” text is also too thin.

On the other hand, the authentic Air Jordan 1 Mid sneakers have their “prints looking thicker than what they look like on the fake shoes.

2. Air Jordan logo

• The fake shoes have their text improperly font-weighted, as there are multiple thicknesses for the letters.
• In the “AIR” text, the first two letters are too thick, and how the “R” is too thin.
• In the “JORDAN” text, the replica Jordan 1 Mids have its first two letters looking too thin, and the last three letters are too thick.
  • Essentially: The “JOR” text is too thin, and the “DAN” text is too thick.
• The fake pair’s “TM” text looks really thin.

Notice how the authentic pair has the same thickness for each character in the “AIR JORDAN TM” text.

No letter is thicker or thinner than the other, as they’re all the same on the original Jordan 1 Mid.

3. Wings

• The fake shoes have their wings improperly spaced, as they have too much space between each other.
• The hand-emoji pointer in the middle (towards the smallest wing) shows you how that specific wing is too thin and small on the fake shoes.

On the other hand, the authentic shoes have the same amount of space between their wings, which is a smaller amount of space than the one on the fake shoes.

The same smallest wing on authentic shoes is bigger and thicker than the wing on fake shoes.

4. Swoosh

• The fake shoes have their stitching improperly weighted and shaped.
  • By that, we mean that the fake shoes have their stitching at different lengths and thicknesses, while the legit shoes have the same length and weight for each stitch.
• At the top, the fake shoes have their logo improperly glued to the shoes, as it comes out of them.
• The replica Jordan 1s have too many extra threads that are not fit into the Swoosh.

Most of the time, fake shoes have extra threads hanging out of the logo, while retail shoes (in good and even used condition) never have extra threads.

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. Tongue

• The fake shoes have their Jumpman logo looking too thick.
• The “A I R” text, has ist letters looking too thick and wide.
• The fake shoes have their stitching looking too thin and long.

On the other hand, the authentic shoes have their stitching at the bottom of the tongue tag looking thicker and shorter than the fake shoes’ stitching.

6. Rear patch

• The fake patch is too tall and too narrow on the sides.
• The fake Jordan 1 Mid have the stitching on the patch looking too thin.

On the other hand, the patch on authentic shoes is shorter and wider on the sides. Also, the stitching is thicker on a real pair.

7. Cross stitching

• The fake Mid 1s have their stitching looking too thick.
• The same stitching is too far away from the Nike Swoosh logo.
• The fake shoes have their stitching curving too much.

On the other hand, the same cross-stitching on the legit shoes is thinner and placed closer to the Nike Swoosh logo.

Notice how the stitching on the legit Jordan 1 Mid is just as a straight line instead of being curved.

8. Midsole

• The fake shoes have their stitching looking too short and thick.
• The authentic shoes must have the same weight (thickness) and length for each stitch.

See how the real example above has thinner stitching than on the fake pair.

Shortlist: Tell fake Jordan 1 Mid in 30 seconds

1. Check the size tag inside your shoes. Mostly, the replica Jordan 1 Mid sneakers have their text on the size tag improperly font-weighted.
2. Verify the classic Air Jordan logo on the side of your shoes. Most of the time, the replica Jordan 1 Mid sneakers have their text looking too thin and/or too thick.
3. Make sure to look at the wings on the Air Jordan classic logo, as most of the time, the fake shoes have their wings looking too thin, small, and placed too close to each other.
4. Verify the Nike Swoosh logo on the side of your Jordan 1 Mids. Usually, the replica Air Jordan 1 Mid sneakers have their Nike Swoosh logo badly attached and glued to the shoes, and they are also commonly found to have extra threads and bad stitching quality on the logo.
5. Check the badge on the tongue of your Mid Jordan 1s. The replica Jordan 1 Mid pairs commonly have their Jumpman and their “A I R” text looking too thick, and also, their stitching at the bottom is usually too thin and long.
6. Analyze the patch on the rear side of your shoes. The fake Air Jordan 1 Mids usually have their patch looking too tall, and their stitching is too thin. Also, the stitching below the patch is also usually looking too thin and long.
7. Verify the cross-stitching on the side of your shoes. Most of the time, the fake Air Jordan 1 Mids have their stitching looking too thick, placed too far away from the Nike Swoosh logo, and also too curvy.
8. Have a look at the stitching on the midsole of your Mid 1s. Usually, the fake Mid 1s have their stitching looking too short and thick.

There are situations, where you may be unable to go through each detailed step, explained above when you need to authenticate your AJ1 Mids.

That is why we have compiled this quick 60-second solution to authenticating your Mid 1s.

Expert Air Jordan 1 Mid authentication service

If you need help with the authentication of your Air Jordan 1 Mid, we’ve got you covered.

All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Mid AJ1s 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 fake vs real Air Jordan 1 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.

Get a fully-detailed report for why you have a real or fake item. Takes less than 48 hours!

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

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Daniel and Ch David