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Trying to learn how to spot the famous Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers? Do you want to learn how to check the authenticity of the classic Air Jordan 1’s, seen in the TV show “The Last Dance”?
Then no wonder, you are in the right place, as we have prepared this ultimate fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago guide, which will teach you how to spot fake AJ1 Chicago sneakers for all of the releases.
Check out our real vs fake Air Jordan 1 High guide that applies to any colourway of the shoes.
In this fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago legit check guide, we have linked real vs fake AJ1 Chicago images in order for you to easily visualize and understand the flaws on the fake Air Jordan 1’s easier.
To put it shortly, the quickest way to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago is to check the interior tongue label with the multiple lines of text, as the fake Air Jordan 1’s are most common to have their text placed wavily, slanted, and improperly font-weighted. Also, check the toe box of your Jordans, because the fake Air Jordan 1’s have their second last row of holes improperly aligned almost every time.
As we said previously, we consider the interior tongue label with the multiple lines of text as the most reliable sign of authenticity for the Air Jordan 1 Chicago, and this is why we are starting the fake vs real AJ1 Chicago legit check guide with this as the first step.
First of all, let’s have a quick look at the reference fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image in order to visualize the flaws on the fake Air Jordan 1’s.
In the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the fake Air Jordan 1’s have their text improperly positioned on the tongue label.
First of all, we have pointed out at the registered trademark “®” symbol on the upper side of the tongue label, which you can notice how it is too boxy and too thick on the fake sneakers, and how on the authentic shoes, it is less boxy and thinner.
Up next, the middle side of the fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago’s tongue label has its text looking too defined and thicker than the text met on the authentic Jordan 1’s.
Moving on, we have the next registered trademark “®” symbol, near the “SWOOSH” text, and you can see how the fake AJ1 Chicagos have their “R” improperly centred into the circle, and how the authentic AJ1’s have their letter “R” properly centred in the middle of the circle.
On top of that, it is also visible in the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above how the fake shoes have their letter “R” in the “®” symbol improperly shaped, because the bottom right leg of the letter is too long on the fake shoes’ label.
The letters on the authentic Air Jordan 1 Chicago will always be placed at the same level, and have the correct shape and font-weight for every letter, without any imperfections.
Next up, we have the “MADE IN CHINA”, which on the fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago, it is visible how it is too thin compared to the authentic AJ1 sneakers, which have their text looking thicker.
Looking at the “EN” text in the “FABRIQUE EN CHINE” line of text, you can see how the fake sneakers have their text looking too big and too thin compared to the legit Air Jordan 1 Chicago.
Lastly, for the interior tongue label, if you look again at the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago image above, you can notice how the fake Air Jordan 1’s have their stitching at the bottom side of the label looking too thin and too long.
On the other hand, the legitimate Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers have their stitching at the bottom side of the tongue label looking thicker and longer than the fake AJ1’s label.
All of this may be confusing, so let’s have a recap of the flaws met on the fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago, and see the most common flaws:
With this being said for the first step of the guide on how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, let’s proceed to the second step of the fake vs real AJ1 Chicago guide.
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For the second step of the guide on how to spot fake AJ1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to analyze both the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago sneakers for the perforation holes on the toe box.
The authentic sneakers will always have their holes on the toe box aligned perfectly, with no imperfections, having all of the holes at the same placement and alignment.
In the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we drew green lines for the authentic sneakers’ placement of the second last row of the holes, and red lines for the fake sneakers’ holes.
Most of the time, the replica Air Jordan 1 Chicago manufacturers flaw the placement of these holes, as some of the holes on the second last row of holes are misaligned.
Looking at the authentic sneakers, you can see how all of the holes are placed correctly and on the same line on every single line of perforations.
In the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the third hole is placed lower than the rest of the holes on the toe box.
This is yet another important spot to check, since if you see a pair with the holes misaligned, then you are 100% looking at a counterfeit pair of the Air Jordan 1 Chicago.
For the third step of the guide on how to authenticate Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to inspect the AJ1 Chicago real vs fake sneakers for the hourglass shape on the rear side.
The authentic Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers must look like an hourglass from the rear side, and for the most part, the replica AJ1 Chicago sneakers miss the shape of the shoes from the back.
This being said, let’s have a look at the reference AJ1 Chicago fake vs real reference image.
As you can see in the reference Air Jordan 1 Chicago fake vs real image above, the counterfeit sneakers look like a straight tube, without any bumpiness or a sign of curviness, leading into the hourglass shape.
Looking at the authentic sneakers, you can notice how the bottom and the top sides of the shoes are thick, and how in the middle, they look thinner, making them look like an hourglass.
In order to understand this better, let’s have a look at another Air Jordan 1 Chicago real vs fake comparison, this time more detailed.
As you can see in the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the authentic sneakers are curvy on the top and the bottom sides, and how in the middle side, they are thinner, and they look like an hourglass.
Looking at the counterfeit-manufactured Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, you can notice how they are also a bit curved, but obvious with the naked eye too, they are not as bumpy as the authentic AJ1 Chicago.
As you may guess, this is an important spot to check for the Air Jordan 1 Chicago, but you have to keep in mind that this flaw is visible only when the sneakers are not on foot. So, when somebody’s wearing the Air Jordan 1 Chicago, it’s most likely that you won’t see the hourglass shape, but just when the sneakers are not on feet.
This being said, let’s move on to the next step for the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago legit check guide and see other ways to spot fake AJ1 Chicago.
For the fourth step of the guide on how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago, we are going to check out the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago sneakers for the Air Jordan classic logo at the top of the shoes.
Before we begin the explaining of the flaws met on the replica Air Jordan 1 Chicago, we are going to have a look at the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago image.
In the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out several flaws met on the replica Air Jordan 1’s.
First of all, looking at the letters in the “AIR” text, you can see that we’ve pointed out each letter, where you can see the same flaw.
The letters in the “AIR” text on the fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers are too thin and improperly fit deep into the Air Jordan logo.
On the authentic sneakers, you can see how all of the letters in the “AIR” text are thicker and fit deeper into the black area on the background.
Moving on, we have the letter “O” in the “JORDAN” text, where you can see how the fake sneakers have their letter looking too thin at the top and the bottom sides.
On the other hand, the authentic Air Jordan 1 Chicagos have their letter “O” looking thicker at the top and bottom sides compared to the fake Jordan 1’s.
Going to the letter “A” in the “JORDAN” text, you can notice in the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago image above how the fake AJ1’s have their letter looking too thick compared to the “A” met on the authentic Chicago’s.
Lastly, looking at the “TM” text near the Air Jordan classic logo, it is visible how the replica AJ1 Chicago sneakers have their “TM” text looking too wide and too thick, and how the legit Jordan 1’s have their text looking thinner and less large.
The steps we’ve written so far are the best ways to authenticate this item.
The next few steps are still reliable signs of authenticity but are for non-top-versions of replicas available for this item. We recommend sticking to the steps we’ve explained above to make sure you’re not drawing the wrong conclusions.
For the fifth step of the guide on how to legit check Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to check out the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 sneakers for the wings beneath the “AIR JORDAN” text on the classic Air Jordan logo.
Looking at the reference fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, you can notice how the authentic sneakers have their wings of the Air Jordan logo placed with more space between them on the bottom side of the logo, and how at the top of the logo, they have less space between.
The fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers have their wings placed too close to each other at both the top and the bottom side of the Air Jordan logo.
Also, looking at the smallest wing in the middle of the last row of wings on the fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, you can notice it is too bulky compared to the smallest wing on the authentic AJ1’s, which is sharper.
More legit check guides: Air Jordan 1 SBB 3.0, Air Jordan 1 Electro Orange.
Moving on to the sixth step of the guide on how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to check out the overall shape of the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers.
In the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the shape of the fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers is different from the shape of the legit Jordans.
First of all, looking at the sneakers from the rear side, you can notice how the fake shoes look less curvy and bumpy than the authentic sneakers.
On the other hand, the authentic Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers look bulkier and curvier than the fake shoes.
Then, looking at the sneakers’ toe box, you can notice how the fake Jordans have their toe box looking too thick and too bulky, leading it to be over-inflated.
The legitimate Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers looks less thick and less inflated in the toe box area compared to the replica AJ1 Chicago shoes.
Let’s have a look at another comparison of the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers on the toe box because the fake sneakers can also be on the other way around, looking too thin and too little inflated.
In the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the fake AJ1 Chicago sneakers have their toe box looking too thin and too little inflated.
On the other hand, the authentic Chicago’s have their toe box looking thicker and more inflated than the fake shoes’ toe box.
At the same time, the toe box of the authentic AJ1 Chicago does not look over-inflated, as the fake shoes in the previous fake vs real AJ1 Chicago comparison.
Up next, we have the seventh step of the guide on how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to check out the Nike Swoosh logo for the top tip of the Swoosh, the size, and the curve with the help of the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago images.
First of all, we are going to check out the top tip of the real vs fake AJ1 Chicago’s Nike Swoosh logo, and then, the rest of the details.
In the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the fake sneakers have their Nike Swoosh logo looking too thin, less sharp and curvy at the top tip.
On the other hand, the retail Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneaker have their Nike Swoosh logo looking sharper, thicker and curvier at the top tip than the fake sneakers’ logo.
For the next element of the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we have the size of the Swoosh logos.
As you can see in the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we drew a green line to point out the distance between the Swoosh and the midsole of the authentic AJ1’s, and a red line for the fake sneakers’ distance.
With the help of the lines in the fake vs real AJ1 Chicago image above, you can notice how the fake Jordan 1’s have their Swoosh looking smaller, as there is too much distance to the midsole.
On the other hand, the authentic Air Jordan 1 Chicagos have their Swoosh bigger, and there is less distance to the midsole.
For the last element to inspect on the fake vs real AirJordan 1 Chicago’s Nike Swoosh logos, we are going to check out the curve.
In the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, you can see how the authentic Nike Swoosh logo is looking curvier than the fake sneakers’ Swoosh with the help of the two hand-emoji pointers for both the fake vs real AJ1 Chicago sneakers.
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For the eighth step of the guide on how to legit check Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to check out the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 sneakers for the cross-stitching.
By cross-stitching, we are talking about the “L” looking line which crosses the sneakers on the side, going over the Nike Swoosh logo.
First of all, let’s inspect the fake vs real AJ1 Chicago image in order to visualize the flaws on the fake J1’s.
Looking at the reference real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, you can see how the fake Jordan 1’s have their stitching placed too close to the sneakers.
On the other hand, the authentic sneakers have their cross-stitching placed a bit higher than the replica Air Jordan 1 Chicago’s cross-stitching.
Moving on, we have the rear patch where the Nike Swoosh logos from the interior and the exterior sides of the sneakers meet.
First, let’s have a quick look at the reference real vs fake AJ1 Chicago image in order to visualise the flaws on the fake Air Jordan 1’s easier.
In the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the fake sneakers have their patch where the two Swooshes meet looking too boxy.
On the other hand, the authentic Nike Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers have their rear patch looking wider than the one met on the replica AJ1’s.
For the tenth step of the guide on how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to inspect the real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago shoes for the stars on the soles.
In the fake vs real Air Jordan 1 Chicago image above, we have pointed out how the fake Chicago’s have their stars on the soles looking less defined and looking curvier compared to the authentic sneakers’ stars on the soles.
Of course, this spot applies only to the unworn pairs, because as soon as the soles start to get wear, the stars are going to be less and less visible, and so, we don’t consider this a reliable sign of authenticity in all of the cases.
For the eleventh step of the guide on how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Chicago sneakers, we are going to inspect the Air Jordan 1 Chicago released in 2011, because they have an extra Jumpman printed on the rear side of the shoes.
As you can see in the image above, the authentic sneakers have their Jumpman stitching on the rear side of the sneakers looking more defined and centred in the middle of the shoes.
On the other hand, the fake sneakers’ Jumpman has extra threads hanging, and not only that, but he is also placed too low on the sneakers and looks less defined than the authentic shoes’ Jumpman.
The 11 detailed steps outlined above might not be so practical when you are in a hurry or when you want to buy the sneakers online.
That is why we have compiled this quick 60-second solution to authenticating your sneakers. Below are the top 11 indicators that can help you determine if you have a fake or real Air Jordan 1 Chicago.
If you need help with the authentication of your Air Jordan 1 Chicago we’ve got you covered.
All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Air Jordan 1 Chicago 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 Air Jordan 1 Chicago legit check guide. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.
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Thank you for reading this,
Ch Daniel and Ch David
