Just Don: How To Spot FAKE Shorts (In 2024)

Written by
Ch David
mitchell mess real vs fake just don

Last Updated on June 7, 2024 by Ch David

This is the ultimate legit check guide for Just Don shorts.

It works for all models + colorways.

How to tell if Just Don shorts are fake

You can tell if Just Don shorts are fake by checking the wash tags. Fakes always have thicker and wider prints.


1. Wash tag

  • The fake shorts have their inscriptions too thin, while the real Just Dons have their text thicker.
  • The fake pair has its letters improperly kerned.
    • By that, we mean that the fake letters have too much space in-between each other, while the real ones are placed way closer to each other.

The kerning flaw on the fake shorts is generated by the letters being too thin.


Get the expert's opinion: Let us legit check your Just Dons.

2. Team name

  • The fake shorts have their first line of text that states a few years looking too small and too thin.
  • If you look at the name of the team on the second line of text, you can see how the fake pair of Just Dons has its text looking too thick, while the real text is thinner.

3. Sportswear

  • The fake pair has its “SPORTSWEAR” text too small, too thick and has this sort of a boxier look.

On the other hand, the authentic Just Dons have their “SPORTSWEAR” text looking bigger, thinner and more “aired” than the fake one, as the real pair’s text is wider than the fake boxy text.

4. Mitchel & Ness

  1. The “NOSTALGIA CO.” label on the fake Just Don shorts looks too thick and too small. It also has its letters defined in a less good manner than the real ones.
  2. The “PHILADELPHIA, PA.” inscription in the bottom right corner of the fake Just Don shorts has its letters looking too thick and with their lines too curvy.
  3. The “Mitchell & Ness” main logo on the fake Just Don shorts looks too thick as well, and this can be easily observed if you look at the letter “N” in the word “NESS”.

Looking at the genuine Just Don shorts, you can notice how their “Mitchell & Ness” text logo is thinner than its replica.

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. Hardwood Classics

  • The fake pair’s “HARDWOOD” text is too thick, especially if you look at the letter “R” – this one is way thicker even than the rest of the letters.
  • All three in the “NBA” logo are too thin and too poorly defined when put side-by-side with the real ones, which are thicker and stitched with more care than the replica ones.

6. Just Don ®

  1. On the fake shorts, there is a little bit of extra stitching if you look at the spot in which the letters “u” and “s” connect in the “Just” inscription.
  2. The star that’s in-between the words which form the brand’s name looks too thick on the fake Just Don shorts, while the real pair has its star thinner and less noticeable than the fake one.
  3. The registered trademark “®” symbol on the fake Just Don shorts is connected to the “Don” inscription, and that aside, it is also way too thin.

On the other hand, the real Just Don shorts have their “®” character out of contact with the “Don” text, and at the same time, the real “®” symbol is way thicker than the counterfeit one.

7. NBA logo

There are two types of NBA logos: they can either be fully detailed or just outlined.

First of all, we will look at the authentic vs replica Just Don shorts with the fully detailed logo, and right after that, we’ll also talk about the outlined logo shorts.

7.1. Filled

  • The fake pair has its “NBA” text looking too thick.
  • The fake NBA man looks too thick and too wide, while the real one is slimmer and narrower.

7.2. Outlined

  • The fake pair has its “NBA” text logo looking too thin on the letters “N” and “A”, as well as the letter “B” too thick.

The real Just Don shorts have the same font-weight for all of their letters since all three of them are as big and as wide as each other.

8. Lace plates

  • The fake pair has its “JUST DON” text with the star in the middle looking too thin.

The authentic Just Don shorts have the same inscription looking thicker due to the fact that it was fit deeper into the metal plate than the fake text.

9. Brown tag

  • The fake pair has its “NOSTALGIA CO.” inscription too thin, while the real pair’s text is thicker.

Shortlist: Quickly spot fake Just Don shorts

  1. Inspect the wash tags on your Just Don shorts, ensuring the text isn’t overly thin.
  2. Examine the stitched text at the top of the strip inside your shorts; fake pairs often display text that’s too thick.
  3. Look at the Sportswear tab within your shorts, confirming the text’s correct dimensions and font-weight.
  4. Inspect the Mitchel & Ness inscription inside your Just Don shorts, ensuring the text has the appropriate font-weight.
  5. Observe the Hardwood Classics label; counterfeit Just Don basketball shorts frequently have excessively thick text there.
  6. Verify the small Just Don text stitched on the rear side of your shorts. Counterfeit pairs often exhibit extra threads, improper positioning, and incorrect font-weight.
  7. Examine the NBA logo on the exterior side of your shorts. In many instances, fake shorts have logo text with varying and incorrect font-weights.
  8. Remember to check the “JUST DON” text engraved into the lacing metal plates. Fake pairs often have thin text that’s inadequately embedded into the fabric.
  9. Lastly, check the “NOSTALGIA CO.” text on the extra brown label of your shorts. Labels on counterfeit pairs typically feature this text in a thinner font.

The comprehensive nine-step guide distinguishing between authentic and counterfeit Just Don shorts, as explained above, might be less convenient when you’re pressed for time or considering online purchases.

For this reason, we’ve created a swift 20-second method for authenticating your Just Don shorts. Above, we outline the foremost nine indicators that aid in identifying whether your pair of Just Dons is genuine or fake.

Expert Just Don authentication service

Should you require assistance in verifying the authenticity of your Just Don shorts, rest assured that we are here to provide our support.

You only need to share high-quality images of your Just Don shorts with us. Within a timeframe of 24 to 48 hours, we will furnish you with the outcomes, accompanied by a comprehensive report explaining the rationale behind our determination of whether your item is genuine or counterfeit.

This marks the conclusion of our manual for distinguishing between counterfeit and authentic Just Don shorts. We are dedicated to consistently updating this article with improved and contemporary comparisons.

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

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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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