Air Max 97 Off-White: Real Vs Fake Guide (2023)

Last Updated on September 26, 2023 by Ch David

Welcome to the ultimate Off-White Air Max 97 legit check guide with:

• Real vs fake images;
• Explanations;
• Lots of helpful insights.

By the end of the guide, you’ll know how to verify your Air Maxes in 10 steps.

In this guide, we’re focusing on the OG “THE TEN” colorway.

Not the colorway you need? Check these out:

• Off-White Air Max 97 Black
• Off-White Air Max 97 Menta
• Off-White Air Max 97 Elemental Rose

Let’s proceed with the OGs.

How to spot fake Off-White Air Max 97

To authenticate Off-White Air Max 97, focus on the medial text of both shoes.

Replicas often get this detail wrong, making it a key indicator of authenticity.

1. Medial text

1.1. Left shoe

• Authentic:
  1. The “TM” text appears thinner.
  2. The letter “c” in “c. 1997” is always in lowercase.
  3. The “1997” text is also thinner.
• Fake:
  1. The “TM” text is noticeably thicker.
  2. The letter “c” in “c. 1997” is mistakenly capitalized.
  3. The “1997” text is overly thick.

1.2. Right shoe

• Authentic:
  1. The letter “c” is always in lowercase.
  2. The “1997” text on the transparent side is thinner.
  3. The comma next to the “Beaverton” text is finer.
  4. The “MAX” text has a normal thickness.
• Fake:
  1. The letter “c” is mistakenly capitalized.
  2. The “1997” text on the transparent side is overly thick.
  3. The comma next to the “Beaverton” text is both thicker and longer.
  4. The “MAX” text is noticeably thicker.

2. “AIR”

• Authentic: The “AIR” text is straight and properly aligned.
• Fake: TThe “AIR” text is crooked and not aligned straight.

3. Swoosh

This is the Nike logo on the side of the shoes.

• Authentic:
  1. The Swoosh is sharper and less curvy in the middle.
  2. Correctly positioned on the transparent part of the shoes.
• Fake:
  1. The Swoosh is too arched and curvy in the middle.
  2. Positioned too low on the transparent part and may cover less or more of it than intended.

4. Pull tab

• Authentic: The pull tab on the Off-White Air Max 97 OG sneakers is shorter.
• Fake: The pull tab tends to be too long compared to the authentic version.

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. Stitching

• Authentic: The stitching on the pull tab of the Off-White Air Max 97 OG sneakers is more visible.
• Fake: Stitching appears less visible than on the authentic version.

6. Tongue

• Authentic:
  1. The Nike Swoosh logo is spaced further from the letter “N” in “NIKE”.
  2. The (R) symbol is positioned below the left leg of the letter “N”.
• Fake:
  1. The Swoosh logo is too close to the letter “N”.
  2. The (R) symbol is incorrectly placed under the right leg of the letter “N”.

7. Orange tab

• Authentic:
  1. Blue stitches are denser.
  2. The nuance of orange is darker.
• Fake:
  1. Blue stitches above and over the orange tab are less dense.
  2. The shade of orange is too light.

8. Sole

This is the sole bubble you’ll see on most Air Max 97s.

• Authentic: Swoosh logo is larger, extending closer to the edges of the orange bubble.
• Fake: Logo on the orange bubble appears too small.

9. Insole

This insole shows the classic Off-White “THE TEN” logo as most other Nike x Off-White shoes.

• Authentic:
  1. The “THE TEN” text is appropriately sized with proper spacing between the letters.
  2. The “X” Off-White logo is thinner.
• Fake:
  1. The “THE TEN” text appears too large with excessive space between the letters.
  2. The “X” Off-White logo is noticeably thicker.

10. Size tag

• Authentic:
  • “VT” text in the top right corner is appropriately spaced from the right edge of the size tag.
  • “AJ4585-100” and “MADE IN CHINA” printed text in the middle are of regular thickness.
• Fake:
  • “VT” text positioning can be either too far or too close to the right edge.
  • “AJ4585-100” and “MADE IN CHINA” text appear thicker than on the authentic pair.

VT = Factory where real shoes are made.

AJ4585-100 = Style code for the Off-White Air Max 97 OG.

Dictionary

Shortlist: Verify your Air Max 97 Off-White

1. Medial Text: Check for the thickness of the “TM” text and ensure “c. 1997” uses a lowercase “c.”
2. Midsole “AIR” Text: Verify the alignment and straightness of the “AIR” text.
3. Nike Swoosh Logo: Inspect the placement, arch, and positioning on the transparent area.
4. Pull Tab Length: Analyze the length of the pull tab to ensure it’s not too long.
5. Pull Tab Stitching: Check the quality of stitching on the pull tab.
6. Tongue Tag: Verify the distance between the Nike Swoosh logo and the letter “N” in “NIKE.”
7. Orange Tab: Examine the green stitching above and around the orange tab.
8. Sole Nike Swoosh Logo: Check the size and placement of the Swoosh within the orange bubble.
9. Insole “THE TEN” Text: Ensure the text is the correct size, thickness, and letter spacing.
10. Size Tag: Verify the positioning and thickness of the “VT” text and “MADE IN CHINA” text on the size tag.

Above are 8 key indicators to look for to spot fakes.

These details can help you spot fake Off-White Air Max 97 OG when on the go.

Expert Air Max 97 Off-White authentication

If you need assistance with authenticating your Off-White Air Max 97:

• Send us high-quality pictures of your shoes.
• We’ll provide you with results and a report on their authenticity within 24 to 48 hours.

This concludes our guide on spotting real vs fake Air Max 97 Off-White.

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