Jordan 4 Legit Check: How To Spot FAKE vs REAL

Last Updated on July 21, 2024 by Ch David

In a single interception, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 14,806 fake Jordans^[1]. This article makes you immune to fake Jordan 4s — we’re not going to bore you with any useless information.

This guide works for any Jordan 4 colorway.

How to tell if Jordan 4s are fake

The answer is: Check if the size tag’s text is too thick to tell if your Jordan 4s are fake — the always tend to have thicker inscriptions.

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1. Size tag

• The fake Jordan 4 size tag’s text is too bold
• The letters are too thick
• On the real Air Jordan 4 tag’s text, all the pointed inscriptions are thinner

2. Cage

2.1. Comparison with a HIGH-quality replica

• The stitching below the fake pair’s cage has too much space between each thread
• That makes the stitching inconsistent

The real pair has its stitches placed closer to each other, leaving less empty space in between the threads.

2.2. Comparison with a LOW-quality replica

• The stitching below the triangular-shaped cage is too wide on the fake pair
• The real Bred Jordan 4 pair presents less empty space in between the stitches
• The fake pair has its threads crooked, and they’re randomly attached to the shoes…
• … while the real pair’s stitches follow a strict pattern, which gives the shoes a better look.

In most cases, replica manufacturers pay less attention to this obvious detail, which gives us enough room to easily label pairs as fake or real.

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

3. Back

Depending on your colourway, the rear side of the shoes might be different.

• Some pairs have the NIKE AIR text.
• Other pairs have the Jumpman logo^[2].

Fake Jordan 4s:

• Have inconsistent stitching.
• The threads are too thin, too short, and too sparse
• The fake pair has fewer threads than the real pair

Authentic Jordan 4s, on the other hand…

• Show thicker stitching around the Jumpman logo
• They are thicker…
• … and sewn deeper into the shoes

If you want to read other colourway-specific tutorials, have a look at the following: Jordan 4 Bred, Jordan 4 UNC, Black Cat 4s.

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. Interior tongue

The fake vs real Jordan 4 comparison above shows you two flaws: the size and the thickness.

• Sizing:
  • The fake pair’s “AIR JORDAN” text is too small.
  • The real one’s text is bigger.
• Thickness:
  • All characters on the fake Jordan 4’s label are too thin and narrow
  • The real pair’s letters are thicker and wider than the fake

5. Suede

This tell only applies to suede-leather 4s.

• Authentic: When touched, it leaves dark traces behind.
• Fake: No traces left behind — the fake suede remains light.

Nike uses a variety of materials, including leather, suede, and mesh, to create the iconic designs. These materials are sourced from various suppliers^[3].

Replicas never use the right materials.

6. Heel

• On authentic Jordan 4s, analyzed from the side, you’ll be able to notice a bump on the rear side
• You won’t always see this on fake pairs

The fake vs real Off-White Jordan 4s comparison above shows you:

• The fake pair has a pretty straight shape…
• Rather than the real pair’s shape, which involves a curvature on the back

7. Footbed

Remove the insoles to get into the shoes.

• Fake Jordan 4s have fewer stitches than they actually need to
• You can see how the real pair has a pretty consistent density of threads
• The fake Union Air Jordan 4s have a less consistent stitching job

Speaking of the Union Jordan 4s, you might like the following legit check guides: Union Jordan 1, Nike Dunk Low.

8. Sock liner

• On the fake: The sock liner becomes too narrow
• On the authentic: Sock liner remains consistent

On the back, the fake sock liner is actually okay — but see how it becomes too narrow on the left side of the shoes.

That’s wrong and never-to-be-seen on a real pair.

9. Cage

• The edges are less curvy on the fake pair
• The most noticeable spot: the bottom indicator added in the image above (the one on the bottom side of the triangle)

You can notice how the fake pair’s corner is pretty much straight, like a 90-degree corner. Then, the real pair’s corner is rounded.

10. Exterior tongue

Most tongues have stitching, and then the Jumpman “Flight” logo^[4].

• The fake pair presents stitching that is too thin
• The threads are too long.
• The real Jordan 4s present shorter and bulkier stitches

10. Sole

• The fake pair’s Jumpman has improper outlines
• There’s too little red paint and too much white paint
• The real pair has red paint all-over the 3D Jumpman logo
• Only the sides of the logo are white…
• … unlike the fake pair which has white paint even on the top of the logo

11. Toe box

• The fake Jordan 4s: toe box is looking too flat
• You’ll commonly see the counterfeit Jordan 4 pairs having a small toe box, just like the one above
• On the real pair: toe box is flawless, as always
• In other words: the real pairs are supposed to have a thicker and more inflated toe box than the fake one

12. Box label

Below is the box of the Jordan 4 Black Cat.

• The text is way thinner than it should be
• The characters are placed too close to each other
• The authentic boxes are quite the opposite.

Shortlist: Jordan 4 Legit Checking

1. Check the Size Tag: Make sure that the text on the size tag isn’t too thick and bold.
2. Inspect the Stitching Below The Cage; The stitching below the cage on real Air Jordan 4s should have high attention to detail. Fake Jordan 4s will have inconsistent spacing on the thread and the stitches will be further apart.
3. Look at the Back: The back of the fake shoe will also have inconsistent and thin stitching, which means fewer threads throughout the shoe.
4. Verify the Text on the Inside of the Tongue: The Air Jordan text on the tongue of fake Air Jordan 4s will be thin and narrow.
5. Check the Shape of the Shoe: Sometimes, the fake Jordan 4s will not have a bump on the rear side.
6. Look at the Footbed Stitching: By taking out the insole, you can check the footbed stitching for inconsistencies.
7. Inspect the Shape of the Socklinker: The shape of the sock liner on fake Jordan 4s will be too narrow throughout the shoe, whereas real Jordan 4s will have consistent sock liners.
8. Verify the Edges of the Cage: The edges of the cage on fake Jordan 4s will have less curvature than the real ones. 
9. Check the Tongue Stitching: Real Air Jordan 4s will have thicker stitching on the tongue than a fake pair.
10. Look at the Bottom of the Shoe: The bottom of the shoe on fake Air Jordan 4s will have improper colouring and the paint will be off compared to real ones. 
11. Inspect the Toe Box: A fake pair will have a flatter toe box than a real pair of Air Jordan 4s.
12. Check the Box: The box will have thinner text with far less letter spacing than a real Air Jordan 4 box.

Above a quick summary of how you can Legit Check your Air Jordan 4s.

If you’re still unsure about the authenticity of your Air Jordan 4s, Legit Check is here to help!

We can quickly authenticate your Jordan 4s with just a few photos. Get in touch today.

Expert Jordan 4 Legit Check Service

If you’re unsure whether you have a real or fake Jordan 4 pair and you want confirmation from experts that carefully inspect kicks like this every day:

• The Legit Check By Ch Authentication Service is what you need.
• We confirm our knowledge by sharing guides like this one for free.
• In these guides, you can see what we actually look for when checking your shoes.

That’s it for now. Thank you for reading how to spot fake Jordan 4s!

Going the Extra Mile

1. Best practices to avoid fake Jordan 4s

• Buy your Jordan 4s from trusted sellers and marketplaces: If you suspect that the shoes on a site are fake and the website looks suspicious, avoid buying from them. Buying from a reputable seller or trusted marketplace (like StockX) is a great way to ensure that you’re buying what you paid for.
• Record yourself opening the package: Recording yourself opening any package of secondary market collectibles is generally good practice. It’s a great way to make sure you have evidence that you did in fact receive a fake pair of Jordan 4s, and that you’re not just swapping them for your own fake pair (a common defence by counterfeit scammers). 
• Get your Jordan 4s authenticated: Legit Check is the best way to get your Jordan 4s authenticated quickly and professionally. Our team of experts is here to help you ensure you don’t get ripped off and can give you peace of mind that your items are real if you’re unsure.
• Raise a dispute with whoever you paid with: Raising a dispute with the marketplace or payment processor you used is crucial. This is why it’s important that you ensure purchases are protected through Paypal ‘Goods and Services’ when buying online with PayPal, or with the site’s own buyer protection for other marketplaces like eBay and StockX.
• If all else fails, consider a Chargeback: This is in the worst case, for example, if you’ve transferred some money to a scammer directly or not used a payment processor that’ll allow you to get your money back. Contacting your bank to try to get a chargeback is the last resort, and is a long process which can be a nuisance.
• Use a Certificate of Authenticity to help you get your money back: If you need to raise a dispute or file for a chargeback, make sure you have undisputed evidence that the item is fake. This includes a Certificate of Authenticity. If your sneakers are fake, you can use our Certificate of Authenticity to confirm that you’ve been scammed.

2. I was sold fake Jordan 4s. How can I get my money back?

If you’ve accidentally bought a fake pair of Jordan 4s and you’ve happened to pay through PayPal or via credit card, then our Certificate of Authenticity can help you get your money back.

We’ve helped thousands of people that got scammed with fakes to get their money back. See right here how a certificate looks like.

3. Why should you Legit Check Air Jordan 4s?

Here are a few reasons why you should authenticate your sneakers and other streetwear: 

• Fake sneakers are becoming more common: As more fakes are put onto the market, it can be harder to know that the sneakers you’re buying are real.
• Jordans are especially prone to counterfeiting: Their popularity and accessibility as a shoe mean that they’re easier to get away with counterfeiting than other brands.
• Authenticating protects yourself later on when trying to sell them: If you don’t check whether your Air Jordan 4s are real, selling them can lead to a nasty surprise. Any knowledgeable buyer will know that they’re fake, and you could risk a hit on your reputation or an accusation of trying to scam someone.
• Ensure you can get a refund in case your shoes are fake: Retailers and marketplaces have a cutoff point for refund disputes. Depending on the seller, you can miss the time period for a refund if you don’t check the authenticity of the shoe quickly.

That’s it!

References

1. Rohrlich, J. (2020) How $470 million worth of fake Nikes get into the US, Quartz.
   Available at: https://qz.com/1778276/how-counterfeit-nikes-get-into-the-us
   (Accessed: November 2023).
2. Wisbey, D. (2010) ProQuest | Better Research, Better Learning, better insights.
   Available at: https://www.proquest.com/openview/b6eb989627b33676c0d3d8c7c73c722a
   (Accessed: November 2023).
3. Knight, P. (1998) ProQuest | Better Research, Better Learning, better insights.
   Available at: https://www.proquest.com/openview/5b94283bd4da8edc1b14bff3db4c9e77
   (Accessed: November 2023).
4. Thompson, W. (2021) Michael Jordan. A history of flight, De Gruyter.
   Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7312/asme19803-022/html
   (Accessed: November 2023).

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

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Daniel and Ch David