Off-White Air Max 97 Black Real Vs Fake Guide

Written by
Ch Daniel
Off-White Air Max 97 Black
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Last Updated on July 17, 2021 by Ch David

If you are here to learn how to spot fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers, you are in the right place.

We have prepared this guide on how to check the real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers with just ten simple spots to look at for it to be easier when you authenticate these sneakers.

It is worth mentioning that we are going to refer to the Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers in the simple form of OW AM 97 Black sneakers.

Now that you know what we’re talking about, let’s get you to the proper real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers.

How to spot fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers

First of all, we’d like to mention that we consider the medial text on both the left and the right shoes being the most reliable spot in order to check the authenticity of an Off-White Air Max 97 Black pair since replica Off-White manufacturers never manage to get this text right.

Step 1: Check the medial text on your Off-White Air Max 97 Black

As we said previously, we consider the medial text being one of the most reliable signs of a fake OW Air Max 97 Black pair of sneakers.

  • The left shoe
legit check air max 97

First of all, the fake pair has the “TM” text on the top of the medial text looking too thick, and on the authentic pair, the “TM” text is thinner.

Also, the “Off” printed text looks crooked and the placing of the letter is messed up on the fake pair, and the authentic pair has the “Off” text more straighten.

Next to the “TM” text, we’ve got the “NIKE” text which has the same problem from the “TM” text too. Most of the time, the “NIKE” text is thicker than it has to be.

Also, the “Oregon USA” and the “c. 1997” printed texts are, again, too thick, most of the time, on the fake pairs.

  • The right shoe
real vs fake air max 97

Next up, the main problems from the left shoe apply on the right shoe too.

First of all, the “TM” text is, too big on the fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black pair, and on the authentic pair, it is smaller.

Also, the “c. 1997” text is too thick and too wide on the fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black pair, and on the authentic pair, it is smaller and thinner.

Step 2: Verify the “AIR” text for any inconsistencies

As for the second step of the real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black guide, we’re going to quickly analyze the “AIR” midsole text.

legit check off white air max 97 black

The main flaw with the fake “AIR” text is that it is obviously placed crooked, and too angled to the left on the fake pair.

On the other hand, the authentic Off-White Air Max 97 Black has the “AIR” text placed straight.

Step 3: Inspect the Swoosh on the side of your sneakers

Now that you know how to check the medial text and the “AIR” text, it’s time for us to move on to the Swoosh.

fake vs real off white shoes

Most of the time, the fake Nike Swoosh logo on the side of the sneakers is placed too low or too high on the transparent part.

In this case, the counterfeit Off-White Air Max 97 Black pair has its Nike Swoosh logo placed a lot lower than it has to be.

You can easily notice this by looking at how much the Swoosh is placed on the transparent side.

Step 4: Analyze the pull tab length

For the fourth step of the real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black legit check guide, you’ll have to flip your sneakers to the rear side.

legit check off white shoes

Usually, the fake pairs have the pull tab on the rear heel side looking too long, just as in this case.

On the other hand, the legit Off-White Air Max 97 Black pair has the pull tab shorter than the pull tab on the fake pair.

Step 5: Check the tongue tag of your Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers

Let’s move on to the tongue tag of the sneakers and let’s analyze the elements in there, on both the real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black.

fake vs real off white black sneakers

Usually, the fake Nike Swoosh is too close to the “NIKE” text, and on the authentic pair, there is more distance between these two.

Also, the thickness problem applies here on the word “SPORTSWEAR” too. The fake “SPORTSWEAR” text is too thin on the fake pair, and on the authentic pair, it is thicker.

Step 6: Analyze the Nike Swoosh logo on the sole bubble

For the sixth step of the real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers, you’ll have to flip your shoes to the rear side and analyze the Nike Swoosh logo.

fake vs real off white sneakers

As always, the main problem on the fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers sole bubble is that the Nike Swoosh logo is too small inside the bubble.

On the other hand, the legit pair has the Nike Swoosh logo inside the orange bubble bigger.

Step 7: Verify the orange tab on your sneakers

As for the tenth and the last step of our real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black legit check guide, we’re going to quickly analyze the orange tab.

fake vs real off white sneakers

It is really visible how the fake pair has round corners and the authentic pair has sharp corners.

The authentic Off-White Air Max 97 Black pairs must have the orange tab with sharp corners, and never rounded corners.

Also, another major flaw on the fake pairs is that they have green or blue instead of black stitching above and covering the orange tab, and there has to be black stitching.

Step 8: Check the insole on the Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers

For the eighth step of the legit check guide, we will have to go inside the sneakers and check if it looks right or not.

legit check off white the ten

The problem with the fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black insoles is that the “THE TEN” text seems to be really thin and too big in height. Meanwhile, the legit pair is exactly the opposite.

Step 9: Inspect the size tag of the Off-White Air Max 97 Black

As for the ninth and the last step of our real vs fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black legit check guide, let’s look at the size tag.

replica vs real size tag nike shoes

First of all, the Nike Swoosh logo on the top-mid site of the size tag looks less defined than the authentic one.

Then, the “VT” text that’s placed on the top right corner of the size tag looks too thin on the fake pair, and on the authentic Off-White Air Max 97 Black pair, it looks thicker.

Lastly, the MADE IN CHINA” text and the one below and above look a lot thinner than they have to look like.

How can I spot fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black in seconds?

The nine fake vs real OW Air Max 97 Black steps outlined above are well detailed and it will be time demanding to perform each authentication step when you need to confirm the originality of your 97’s.

That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to authenticating your OW AM97 Black sneakers. Below are the top 9 indicators that can help you determine if you have a fake pair of Off-White Air Max 97 Black or the real deal.

  1. Check the medial text. Usually, the fake pairs have the whole text looking too thin or too thick
  2. Inspect the midsole “AIR” text. Most of the time, the fake Off-White Air Max 97 Black pairs have the “AIR” text placed crookedly and not straight
  3. Verify the Swoosh on your pair. Mainly, the fake Swooshes are placed too high or too low on the transparent side
  4. Analyze the length of the pull tab on your sneakers. Most of the time, the fake pull tabs are too long, and the legit tabs are shorter
  5. Check the tongue tag of your sneakers. Usually, there is too little space between the letter “N” and the Nike Swoosh logo, and the word “SPORTSWEAR” is too thick or too thin
  6. Analyze the sole bubble Nike Swoosh logo. Most of the time, the fake sole Nike Swoosh logos are too small inside the orange bubble
  7. Look at the orange tab. The fake pairs have the orange tabs with curvy corners, and the authentic pairs must have sharp corners
  8. Check the insoles of your sneakers. Most of the time, the “THE TEN” text is too thin and too stretched out on the fake pairs. By that, we mean that it is too big in height on the fake pairs
  9. Verify the size tag. Usually, the “VT” text is too thick or too thin, the Swoosh is less defined, and the “MADE IN CHINA” text and the ones above and below are thinner than they have to be

Where can I get my Off-White Air Max 97 Black authenticated? The OW AM 97 Black authentication service

If you need help with the authentication of your Off-White Air Max 97 Black sneakers, we’ve got you covered.

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

Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.

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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

Ch Daniel is the co-founder and co-CEO of Legit Check By Ch, one of the world's leading companies in product authentications. Daniel's experience: 8+ years in the luxury industry, 7+ years in the authentication industry, 10+ years of business development. Currently, Daniel is overseeing the development of new products of Legit Check By Ch.
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