Air Jordan 1 “Light Fusion Red” – How To Spot Fakes

Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Ch David

Let’s look closely at the Jordan 1 Light Fusion Red.

Our team has prepared the ultimate real vs fake comparison for you.

Have your shoes side-by-side with our Jordan 1 pictures.

Let’s go.

How to spot fake Jordan 1 Light Fusion Red

The most reliable way to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Light Fusion Red is by inspecting the text printed on the size tags.

Usually, fake Fusion 1s have have their size tag’s text either too thin or excessively thick.

1. Size tag

1. Style-Code Text:
   • Fake: Features a style-code (“555088-603”) text that is too thin and narrow.
   • Real: The text is visibly thicker and more defined.
2. UPC Text and Numbers:
   • Fake: The “UPC” text and adjacent numbers are too thin.
   • Real: Displays a thicker and more robust font weight.
3. “MADE IN CHINA” Text:
   • Fake: The multilingual “MADE IN CHINA” text appears too thin.
   • Real: Text appears significantly thicker.

Expert Legit Check - Let our team look at your Jordans:

2. Hourglass shape

• Authentic:
  • Round at the top + bottom, narrow in the middle.
  • Looks like an hourglass ⌛.
• Fake:
  • Shape lacks the precise, curvy sides of the genuine hourglass look.

A closer look would definitely help:

• Authentic:
  • Distinct, narrowed hourglass shape is evident when shoes are off the feet.
• Fake:
  • Might have some curve but lacks the defined, narrowed middle of the authentic pair.

3. Toe box

• Authentic:
  • Toe box is noticeably flatter and appears somewhat deflated.
• Fake:
  • Exhibits a bulkier, over-inflated toe box that stands too high.

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.

4. Logo

We’re referring to the Air Jordan logo.

• Authentic:
  • The “AIR JORDAN TM” text is slender and notably thin.
• Fake:
  • Often features an “AIR JORDAN TM” text that is overly thick and bold.

5. Wings

• Authentic:
  • The wings are thicker and bulkier, leaving less space between them.
• Fake:
  • Presents wings that are notably thin, creating excessive space between them.

6. Swoosh

This is the classic Nike logo on the side.

• Authentic:
  • Features thicker stitching on the Nike Swoosh, with shorter thread lengths.
• Fake:
  • Thinner stitching with noticeably longer threads on the Swoosh.

7. Perforations

• Authentic:
  • Showcases larger and wider perforations on the toe box.
• Fake:
  • Displays smaller and narrower perforations.

8. Stitching

• Authentic:
  • Corner stitching is positioned further away from the Nike Swoosh logo.
• Fake:
  • Corner stitching is situated too close to the Nike Swoosh logo.

8. Midsole

The threads on the midsoles are what connect the upper of the shoes to the sole.

• Authentic:
  • The threads on the midsoles are thinner and longer, creating a skinnier stitching appearance.
• Fake:
  • Threads are too small and thick, resulting in a bulkier stitching appearance.

10. Rear patch

• Authentic:
  • The rear patch is taller and bigger, providing a distinct and proportional look.
• Fake:
  • The patch appears too flat and short, lacking the adequate size and prominence seen on genuine pairs.

11. Tongue

• Authentic:
  • The registered trademark “®” symbols are thicker, wider, and generally bigger, providing a clear and prominent mark.
• Fake:
  • The “®” symbols appear too thin, narrow, and overall smaller, lacking the proper visibility and proportion seen on authentic pairs.

12. Box label

• Authentic:
  • The “USA” text and the numbers below it are rendered in a thinner and slimmer font, presenting a clean and refined appearance.
• Fake:
  • Both the “USA” text and the numbers underneath it appear too thick, exhibiting a lack of finesse in the font-weight and printing.

Authenticity checklist

This quick guide will help you determine the authenticity of your Air Jordan 1 Light Fusion Red.

1. Examine the size tag inside your Air Jordan 1s; fake shoes often have overly thin text.
2. Check the hourglass shape from the rear of the sneakers; fake AJ1 pairs tend to have a straighter shape.
3. Inspect the toe box, which can appear over-inflated on fake AJ1 Light Fusion Red pairs.
4. Look at the “Air Jordan TM” text in the classic logo; fakes may have incorrect text thickness.
5. Evaluate the spacing between the wings in the logo; fake pairs may have wings too close together or too far apart.
6. Inspect the stitching on the Swoosh; fake pairs often have thicker stitches.
7. Examine the perforations on the toe box, which may be smaller and narrower on fake pairs.
8. Check the patch where the Nike Swoosh logos meet at the back; fake pairs may have a boxier patch.
9. Look at the midsole stitching; fake pairs may have thicker and shorter stitches, resulting in a bulkier appearance.
10. Examine the corner stitching on the side near the Nike Swoosh logo; fake pairs may have thinner and closer stitches.
11. Verify the text on the exterior side of the tongue’s badge; fake pairs may have overly thin “®” text.
12. Check the text on the box label; fake pairs may have thinner “USA” text.

Expert Jordan 1 Authentication

If you need assistance with authenticating your Air Jordan 1 Light Fusion Red:

• Simply send us high-quality pictures of your sneakers.
• We will provide you with the results within 24 to 48 hours.
• Our results will include a detailed report explaining why we believe your sneakers are either fake or authentic.

With this, we conclude our guide on how to spot fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Light Fusion Red.

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