Off-White Air Force 1 ComplexCon: Fake Vs Real (Guide)

Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Ch David

Today’s real vs fake subject: Virgil Abloh Air Force 1 “ComplexCon” (Off-White).

In this guide, we’ll teach you everything about legit checking them.

Not the colourway you’re looking for? Check out our other guides:

• Off-White Air Force 1 “THE TEN”
• Off-White Air Force 1 Black
• Off-White Air Force 1 Volt
• Off-White Air Force 1 MCA
• Off-White Air Force 1 Yellow
• Off-White Air Force 1 Brooklyn
• Off-White Air Force 1 MoMA

Let’s get going with the ComplexCon Off-White AF1 (AF-100).

How to spot fake Air Force 1 ComplexCon

To spot fake Off-White Air Force 1 ComplexCon, examine the medial text on each shoe.

Replica Nikes consistently have inaccuracies in the font-weight and spacing of the text characters.

1. Medial text

1.1. Left

• Authentic Shoes:
  1. The “TM” text is thicker, boxier, and wider.
  2. The “NIKE” word is also thicker and wider than on the fake pair.
  3. The “Beaverton” text is thicker.
  4. The “c. 1982” print is thicker and wider, not stretched in height.
• Fake Shoes:
  1. The “TM” inscription is too thin and narrow.
  2. The word “NIKE” is too thin and narrow.
  3. The “Beaverton” text appears too thin.
  4. The “c. 1982” print is too thin, narrow, and stretched out in height.

1.2 Right

• Authentic Shoes:
  1. The “TM” text is thicker and wider.
  2. The “Oregon” text, specifically the letter “g”, is thinner.
  3. The “USA” text is also thinner.
• Fake Shoes:
  1. The “TM” text is too thin and narrow.
  2. The “Oregon” text, particularly the letter “g”, is too thick.
  3. The “USA” text is too thick.

Finding it too hard? Reach out to our Nike x Off-White experts:

2. Size tag

• Authentic:
  • The text for the style-code “AO4927-100” is thinner.
  • The “MADE IN VIETNAM” and “FABRIQUE EN VIETNAM” text is thinner, straightly aligned, and has consistent spacing between letters.
  • The “UPC” text and associated numbers are thicker and printed clearly without visible individual pixels.
• Fake:
  • The text for the style-code “AO4927-100” is too thick.
  • The “MADE IN VIETNAM” and “FABRIQUE EN VIETNAM” text is thicker, slanted, and has irregular spacing between letters.
  • The “UPC” text and numbers are too thin and poorly printed, with visible individual pixels when viewed closely.

3. Back

Over here, we have the classic Air Force 1 details.

• Authentic:
  1. “NIKE” text logo at the top is thinner and not embossed into the leather.
  2. “A I R” text below the “NIKE” logo is slender and not as prominent.
  3. Stitching on the sides of the rear patch is thin and flat.
• Fake:
  1. “NIKE” text logo at the top is thick and appears embossed into the leather.
  2. “A I R” text is overly thick and prominently bulges out.
  3. Stitching on the sides of the rear patch is thick and bulky, not laying as flat as on the authentic pair.

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. Holes

Find them on the side, right below the Swoosh.

• Authentic:
  1. Holes are smaller, less noticeable, and properly placed.
  2. Left side hole is positioned closer to the midsole, further from both the Nike Swoosh logo and the back of the shoe.
  3. Right side hole is appropriately distanced from the Nike Swoosh logo.
• Fake:
  1. Holes are deeper, thicker, and more prominent.
  2. Left side hole is too close to the Nike Swoosh and too far from the midsole and shoe’s back.
  3. Right side hole is also improperly placed, being too close to the Nike Swoosh logo.

5. “AIR”

• Authentic: “AIR” text is thicker, bulkier, and more defined.
• Fake: “AIR” text is too thin and not as well-defined as on the authentic pair.

6. Toe box

• Authentic: Toe box is thinner and has a curvier front side up to the tip.
• Fake: Toe box appears too thick, bulky, and the front side is insufficiently curvy.

7. Orange tab

• Authentic:
  • Has thicker blue stitching at the top of the tab.
  • Orange tab corners are sharp, squared, and boxy.
• Fake:
  • Blue stitching at the top of the tab is too thin.
  • Orange tab corners are round-edged and not squared.

8. “SHOELACES”

Before we begin:

• Even authentic shoes sometimes have their text crooked or a bit uneven.
• Precision on these little laces can’t always be 100% on point.

• Authentic: “SHOELACES” text maintains consistent thickness on both laces, even if slightly faded.
• Fake: “SHOELACES” text thickness varies, appearing too thick on one lace and too thin on the other.

9. Insole

• Authentic: Both “NIKE” text and the Off-White logo on the insole are appropriately thick and well-defined.
• Fake: “NIKE” text and the Off-White logo appear excessively thick on the insole.

Shortlist: Easier legit checking

Use this list when you’re legit checking on the go, or when in a rush:

1. Check the medial text on both the left and right shoes: Replica pairs often have text with the wrong thickness.
2. Examine the text on the size tag: Counterfeit Nike x Off-White AF1 ComplexCon pairs typically have text that is too thin and poorly shaped.
3. Look at the details on the rear side of the ComplexCon OW AF1s: Fake pairs often feature text and stitching lines that are too thick.
4. Inspect the two holes on the side of the sneakers: Fake pairs commonly have these holes looking too thick and placed incorrectly.
5. Check the “AIR” text on the midsole: Fake pairs usually have this inscription too thin.
6. Verify the toe box: Counterfeit Nike x Off-White Air Force 1 ComplexCon pairs often have a bulky and less curvy toe box.
7. Look at the orange tab on the side of the shoes: Fake pairs may have blue stitching of the wrong thickness, and the tab’s edges may be curvy instead of sharp and boxy.
8. Authenticate the “SHOELACES” text on the laces: In most cases, fake pairs have text that is either too thick or too thin.
9. Check the “NIKE” text and the Off-White arrowed “X” logo on the insole: Replica Nike x Off-White Air Force 1 ComplexCon pairs often have details that are too thin.

Expert Air Force 1 ComplexCon authentication

If you require assistance with authenticating your ComplexCon Air Force 1s:

• Provide us with high-quality images of the shoes.
• We will promptly provide you with the results within 24 to 48 hours.
• Our assessment will include a detailed report…
• Explaining the reasons for our determination of whether your sneakers are genuine or counterfeit.

This concludes our guide on fake vs real Off-White Air Force 1 ComplexCon.

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