How To Spot Fake Kobe 5 Bruce Lee (2024)

Last Updated on January 9, 2024 by Ch David

To easily spot fake Kobe V Protro Bruce Lee, you need to look at the size tag inside both the left and the right pairs. Fake pairs never have their text on the size tag at the correct font-weight and kerning between each character, while the authentic Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee pairs must always be flawless.

Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players and he was an idol for many of us, and along with his legacy, he left us to enjoy the Nike x Kobe line.

Since the Kobe V Protro Bruce Lee sneakers are so popular, along with their fame, the replica pairs are on the market as well, and we’re here to teach you what to look for in order to spot fake Kobe 5 Protro Brucee Lee shoes.

If you are looking to learn how to spot fake Nike x Kobe Bryant “Kobe V Protro Bruce Lee” sneakers, then you are for sure in the right place.

That is because we’ve put together this six-step real vs fake Kobe V Protro Bruce Lee authentication guide that will tell you all you need to know in order to spot fake Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee sneakers.

How to tell if Kobe 5 Bruce Lee are real or fake

To tell if you have a real or fake Kobe 5, make sure to check the size tag inside both shoes. Over 99% of the fake pairs have flawed inscriptions that don’t get up to the standards of a real pair.

Let’s check it out!

1. Size tag

• All of the lines of text on the fake Kobe 5 Bruce Lee shoes use the wrong font that the authentic size tag uses.
• The fake pair has its style-code’s text, which for the Kobe V Protro Bruce Lee shoes is “CD4991-700“, looking too thin and too boxy.
• The “UPC” text is too thin and the numbers are too thick — both on the fake pair.
• The fake shoes have their “MADE IN VIETNAM” lines of text looking too small, too thick and too boxy.

Expert's Opinion - Let us verify your Nikes:

2. Rear signature

• The fake Kobes have their signature at the wrong thickness.
• Looking at the leftmost side of the signature, you can see how the fake Kobe 5s have their curvy part looking way too thick.
• Then, the same flaw applies to the fake Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee shoes on the bottom right leg of the letter “K”, which is the curvy long line at the bottom of the signature.

On the other hand, the authentic Nike Kobe V Protro Bruce Lee shoes have their signature looking thinner and slimmer than the ones on the fake shoes.

3. Swoosh

• The fake Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lees have their grey outline of the Nike Swoosh logo thicker and bulkier than the one on the genuine shoes.

Speaking of which, the legit Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee basketball shoes have their outline thinner and narrower than the replica pair.

4. Tongue logo

• The build of the fake pair’s badge on the tongue is too thick.
• That is because the silver badge comes too much out of the tongue of the shoes, therefore having this chunky look.

On the other hand, the authentic Kobe V Bruce Lee shoes have their badge on the tongue looking thinner, as it also has sharper lines rather than the fake pair’s thick logo.

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. Toe box

• The fake Kobe 5s have their toe box too thick and have an over-inflated look.

The authentic Nike Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee shoes have their toe box thinner, flatter and with a deflated look when put side-by-side with the fake shoes.

6. Box label

• The fake pair has its “WMNS” and the “MENS” text too thick.

Back to the authentic Nike Kobe 5 Protro Bruce Lee shoes, you can see how their inscriptions look thinner and thinner than those on the fake shoes.

Shortlist: Tell fake Kobe shoes

1. Examine the text on the size tag of your Kobe shoes. Usually, the replica sneakers have their text at the wrong thickness.
2. Inspect the signature on the rear side of your Kobe shoes. Mostly, the fake pairs have their signature too thick.
3. Check the thickness of the grey outline on the Nike Swoosh logo, as the fake pairs usually have their outline too thick.
4. Look at the Black Mamba logo on the tongue. In most cases, the replica Kobe pairs have their logo too thick and chunky.
5. Verify the toe box of your Kobes, as most of the fake Kobe shoes have their toe box over-inflated and look too bulky.
6. Brief the text on the box’s label of your Kobes, as the counterfeit shoes tend to have their text on the box’s label too thick as well.

There are situations, where you may be unable to go through each detailed step, explained above when you need to authenticate your Kobe 5 sneakers.

That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to authenticating your sneakers.

Expert Kobe authentication

If you need help with the authentication of your Concord Nike Kobe sneakers, we’ve got you covered.

All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Kobe sneakers 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 Nike Kobe 5 Bruce Lee legit check 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.

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