Last Updated on September 20, 2023 by Ch David
You are in the right place if you wish to know how to spot the fake vs real Nike Air Force 1.
This is Nike‘s most popular shoe, so knowing how to tell a fake is important.
NOTE: This real vs fake Nike Air Force 1 guide applies to almost every colourway of the Nike Air Force 1 sneakers.
You can know if your Air Force 1 is original by looking at the size tag’s text (the label inside the shoes). Fake pairs always have very thick text and misplaced inscriptions. A real pair of Nike Air Force 1s has perfectly detailed inscriptions.
Let’s see the steps we need to take to tell the difference between a real Nike Air Force 1 and a fake.
The rear side of the Nike Air Force 1 sneakers is almost always the best spot to look at in order to spot fake Nike Air Force 1 pairs.
We’ll share the picture first, with the key explanations on how to authenticate Nike Air Force 1 pairs below.
Key points for learning how to spot fake AF1 pairs:
Regarding the “A I R” logo:
Going to the edge of the patch:
Lastly:
Let us explain the flaws of the fake vs real Air Force 1 size tag:
Moving to the left side of the size tag, you will have to check the “BR” print.
Check out these other Nike legit check guides: Air Max 97, Air Max 90.
We are going to move to the side of the Nike sneakers, and we have to quickly analyse the shape of the Swoosh logo.
Most of the time, the counterfeit Nike Air Force 1 sneakers will have their Nike Swoosh logo looking different at the frontal curving.
Then, on the rear side of the Nike Swoosh logo:
Next up, we are going to inspect the placement of the two holes on the side of the sneakers on both the real and fake Nike AF1 pairs.
A quick mention:
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
This time we’ll be looking at the front of the sneakers.
What we call the “toe box” is the area in which your toes fit inside the sneakers.
Most of the time, the fake toe box area on the Air Force 1 sneakers is either too big (over-inflated) or too small.
To make it clear, almost every time, the fake sneakers’ toe box will look over-inflated, which means that the fake shoes look too arched and curvy on the frontal area, while the authentic Nike AF1 sneakers look less arched and curvy.
If you’re not sure whether you’ve got fake Nikes, we’re here to help you decide.
You will have to flip your sneakers to the frontal area, but from a top-down view, in order to inspect them in a better way.
Besides, the fake Air Force 1 sneakers’ perforations seem to be, in most cases not fully perforated.
Thus we can deduce that lower-quality manufacturing equipment was used.
We’ll move on from the sneakers to the box, in order to verify the label that is glued to the box.
There are situations where you may be unable to go through each detailed step explained above when you need to authenticate your Nike Air Force 1 sneakers.
Or, you’d just need a quick recap.
That is why we have compiled this quick 60-second solution to authenticating your sneakers.
Below are the top 7 indicators that can help you determine if you have a fake pair of sneakers or original Nike-manufactured Air Force 1s.
If you’re still unsure about the authenticity of your Air Force 1s, get in touch with LegitCheck! Our quick service is a great way to be sure whether your shoes are real or fake, and is as simple as sending a few pictures.
Nike Air Force 1s are an iconic pair of sneakers created by Nike in 1982. They were the first Nike Basketball shoe to use the ‘Nike Air’ technology and preceded the ever-popular Nike AirMaxes.
These shoes are adored by resellers and collectors and have become an icon for the ‘Sneakerhead’ community due to the ubiquitous nature of the shoe. With Nike’s huge range of Air Force 1 variation, their resale value can vary anywhere from $100 to $10,000.
The original shoe isn’t as valuable as other Nike products due to the sheer volume produced throughout its original run. However, expensive variants such as the Playstation Air Force 1 Lows, can command asking prices upwards of $20,000.
Even if you’re buying on the cheaper end of collectable shoes, you still want to make sure that what you’re buying is legit. After all, nobody likes being ripped off, and fake Air Force 1s aren’t going to be as high quality or durable as the real deal.
Sneaker counterfeiting is getting out of hand. Not only are fake Air Force 1s flooding the market, but they’re getting much harder to spot.
This is especially true of the Air Force range, as there are multiple iterations of the sneaker. This is why it’s crucial to ensure that you’ve got the knowledge to know if your sneakers are the real deal or not, or at least have access to a professional authentication service that can do all of that for you, like LegitCheck.
At LegitCheck, we want to help you make sure that every product you’re buying is the real deal. Modern scams and fakes make it quite risky to buy products online.
Our service helps get rid of that worry. We offer a fast and expert authentication service, with which you can ensure that your collectable goods are real. We can even issue a forgery-proof Certificate of Authenticity or provide proof of non-authenticity if you want to fight for a refund.
In any case, making sure that you LegitCheck Air Force 1s as soon as you get them is crucial. Realising you have fake sneakers too late might make it difficult to get a refund from the vendor or seller you brought from.
If you’re worried about purchasing fake goods or you don’t want to authenticate them, buying from Nike or a trusted reseller is a great way to ensure that the goods that you’re getting are real. You should still legit check every pair of sneakers you purchase, even from trusted sellers. Fakes can still fall through the cracks, so it’s always best to make sure.
Authenticating your collectable sneakers is crucial to ensuring that you’re getting the product that you paid for. Whether to wear or to resell later on, you want to make sure your collectable goods are real.
LegitCheck is the best authentication service to ensure that your Air Force 1s and other collectables are genuine without stress and hassle. Our expert team will verify your goods and ensure that they’re all legitimate.
Our service is even able to issue a certificate of authenticity – this is great for reselling later on!
If you’re an avid collector, the LegitCheck Club gives you more bang for your buck, with extra benefits and perks. You’ll be able to save money throughout our site and even have one free streetwear authentication per month.
Get started with LegitCheck today!
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