How To Spot Fake Skepta Air Max 97 Ultra

Written by
Ch David
fake vs real skepta air max
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Last Updated on August 10, 2022 by Ch David

Skepta is one of the most famous and appreciated rappers in the UK, and while he has collaborated with Nike multiple times, the Ultra 17 Air Max 97s are one of his most popular sneakers.

Want to learn how to spot fake Nike Air Max 97 Skepta? Done with scammers and with the fake Air Maxes?

If that’s true, then no wonder, you’re in the right place to learn how to spot fake Skepta Air Max 97 sneakers, as we have compiled this ultimate guide that will teach you all you need to know about legit checking Skepta 97’s.

Along with every step of the guide on how to spot fake Skepta Air Maxes, we are going to attach reference fake vs real Skepta Air Max 97 comparison images.

The fake vs real Skepta Air Max images will easily give you more tips on how to legit check the shoes, as you can visualise both the real and the replica pairs in an easy manner.

How to spot fake Skepta x Nike Air Max 97

To put it shortly, the fastest way to spot fake Skepta Air Max 97 sneakers is to check the size tag inside both the left and the right shoe, as the fake pairs never have their inscriptions properly font-weighted, while the real deal is always detailed correctly, without any sort of imperfections that often occur even on the best fakes.

Step 1: Verify the size tag inside your Skepta Air Max 97s

For the first step of the guide on how to spot fake Skepta Air Maxes, we’ll quickly look inside the shoes, because as we’ve said it before, we consider the size tag as the very best way to tell the authenticity of these shoes.

fake vs real air max 97 skepta

We are going to start with the flaws on the fake size tag from the top and to the bottom.

This being said, the fake pair’s “VT” inscription (which stands for the supposedly legitimate factory assigned to craft the shoes) is too thin, while the real pair’s text is thicker.

Then, the “UK” size text looks too thick, and this time, the genuine Skepta Air Max 97s have their text looking thinner.

In the middle of the size tag, you can see how the “AJ1988-900” style-code inscription is too thin and too small, and how the real one is thicker and bigger.

Just a little bit lower, we have the “MADE IN VIETNAM” and the “FABRIQUE EN VIETNAM” lines of text that appear to be too thick on the fake shoes, and on the other hand, the real ones are thinner.

Lastly, the text which indicates the date on which the shoes were manufactured looks too thick on the fake pair, and this time as well, the real shoes have their text thinner.

Step 2: Check the Nike Swoosh logo and its patch on the side of your shoes

Moving forward to the second method on how to spot fake Nike Air Max 97 Skepta sneakers, we are going to have a look at the real vs fake Skepta Air Maxes for their Swooshes.

Precisely, what we care about at this step is the Nike Swoosh logo and that green patch that’s surrounding Nike’s tick logo.

fake vs real skepta air maxes

The picture with the authentic vs fake Skepta Air Max 97 sneakers above, we have pointed out how the fake pair’s Nike Swoosh logo is too big and looking too long, while the real ones have their logo smaller and shorter.

That aside, you can see how the fake pair’s green patch is also too big, while the authentic Skepta 97s have their patch smaller and covering less of the shoes.

Lastly, looking at the stitching that curves all around the exterior side of the green patch, you can see how the fake pair’s stitching is too curvy and how it is placed too far away from the green side.

On the other hand, the genuine Skepta 97s have their stitching less curvy and placed way closer to the green patch, as there’s no space in-between the patch and the stitching, unlike the fake pair which has a huge gap right there.

Step 3: Look at the lining from a top-down angle on the front side of the shoes

The third step of the guide on how to spot fake Sketpa Air Max 97s to a top-down view angle on the front side of the shoes – basically above the toe boxes.

As always, let’s have a look at the image with the fake vs real Air Max 97 Skepta sneakers below, and right after that, we’ll explain everything.

sketpa 2017 air max 97 real vs fake

The picture with the fake vs real Skepta Air Max 97 sneakers above shows you how the fake pair’s lining is crooked and how it doesn’t follow the real pattern.

By that, we mean than the fake shoes have their lines too little curvy, and while this may differ from a size to another, the lines on the fake shoes are generally way too little curvy and crooked, as the leather on top of them doesn’t look as real as the one used to craft the genuine shoes.

Speaking of which, the authentic shoes have their lines way curvier than the fake ones, and that aside, the quality of the leather speaks for itself, as you cans see how the real pair’s leather is chunkier and thicker than the fake one.

Step 4: Fake vs real Skepta Air Max 97 toe box inflation level

Going to the fourth step of the Skepta Air Max 97 authenticity check guide, now we have to move to the profile side of the real vs fake Skepta Air Maxes.

For this step, we’ll also focus on the toe boxes, but since we are looking at the shoes from their profile sides, what we care about right now is the thickness of the toe boxes.

are my skepta air max 97 fake

The picture with the authentic vs fake Skepta Air Max 97 shoes above shows you how the fake pair’s toe box is way too bulky and high.

On the other hand, the real shoes have their toe box looking thinner and flatter, as it is less shorter than the fake toe box.

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.

Step 5: Authenticate the pull tab on the rear side of your Skepta 97s

Moving to the fifth step of the guide on how to legit check Skepta’s Air Max 97s, what you’ll want to do now is to flip the shoes to their rear side and to have a quick look at the details in that area.

how to spot fake skepta 97

The picture with the fake vs real Skepta Air Maxes above, we have pointed out how the fake pair’s pull tab is improperly stitched as there’s lots of white spots inside the tab which should be black.

On the other hand, the real shoes have their pull tab fully detailed in every spot, and as you can see, this is checked on the real shoes – all of the spots are filled with stitches, as there’s not missing any thread inside the tab.

Step 6: Analyze the Swoosh on the sole of your Skepta Air Max 97

Going to the sixth and the last step of the guide on how to spot fake Skepta Air max 97s, we are going to quickly check the Nike Swoosh logo seen on the soles.

sketpa air max 97 lc guide

The flaw on the fake pair’s Swoosh is that it is too thick, while the real one is thinner. At the same tie, the fake pair’s logo is too small, since it doesn’t reach the edges of the air bubble.

On the other hand, the genuine Skepta Air Max 97s, you can notice how the Nike Swoosh logo is thicker and how it is as big as it almost touches the edges of the patch.

How can I spot fake Nike Air Max 97 x Skepta in 60 seconds?

There are situations where you may be unable to go through each detailed step explained above when you need to authenticate your Skepta Nike Air Max 97s.

That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds 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 Max 97.

  1. Check the size tag inside your shoes. Mostly, the fake pairs have their inscriptions looking too thick or too thin
  2. Inspect the Nike Swoosh logo on the side of the shoes. Usually, the fake pairs have their logo improperly sized, as well as their stitching, placed too far away from the green patch
  3. Verify the lines on the toe box of your shoes, from a top-down view angle. In most cases, the fake Skepta 97s will have their lines too little curvy and too thin
  4. Examine the toe box and its inflation level. The fake Nike x Skepta Air max 97s have their toe box too tall due to over-inflation
  5. Look at the pull tab’ stitching. The fake pairs tend to have white spots inside their pull tab instead of having the tab fully stitched with black threads
  6. Check the Nike Swoosh logo on the sole of your shoes, as the fake pairs commonly have their logo too thick and too small

Where can I get my Skepta Air Max 97 authenticated? The Nike legit check service

If you need help with the authentication of your Nike Air Max 97 x Skepta, we’ve got you covered.

All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Nike Air Max 97 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 fake vs real Nike Air Max 97 guide. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.

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.

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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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