How To Spot Fake Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 High

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Ch Daniel
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Last Updated on January 11, 2024 by Ch David

You can spot fake Travis Scott Jordan 1 High by checking the interior tongue label. A fake pair will always have slanted text with some letters placed higher than others. Authentic pairs always stand out for their high quality.

Back in 2019, Travis Scott introduced the Retro High Air Jordan 1s with the Nike Swoosh logo turned the other way around, and these shoes became so popular that you don’t even need to be a sneaker enthusiast to know about them.

Want to learn how to spot fake Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott? This is the ultimate real vs fake comparison for the Cactus Jack 1s.

First, let’s check out a small poster telling you the quickest ways to spot fake Jordan 1s:

real vs fake nike air jordan 1
This image portrays an infographic guide that applies to 90% of the Air Jordan 1 Retro High colourways. Continue reading for a fully detailed guide!

Looking for other Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 guides? Stop by our library of Nike x Travis Scott guides to learn how to legit check all of the High-top and Low-top colourways and collaborations.

For instance, we’ve got a detailed legit check guide for the Fragment x Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 High.

Without any further ado, here is how to legit check the Nike Jordan 1 Travis Scott “Cactus Jack” in brown. Let’s begin the fake vs real comparison.

How you can tell if Travis Scott Jordan 1s are real

You can tell if Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 High are real or fake by checking the interior tongue label. Fakes always have misplaced text with floating letters that often look too thin. Authentic pairs are always visibly flawless!

Let’s now check out the step-by-step legit check guide for Travis 1s.

1. Interior tongue label

This detail is yet another part of the shoe that fake manufacturers won’t really care that much when replicating, since no one but the wearer is seeing them, once the shoes are on foot.

This gives us a huge advantage, as this tag will not justify the costs of improvement.

1.1. Best-quality replica

Let’s jump into the fake vs real comparison:

As you can see, we’ve highlighted how to spot a fake Travis Scott Jordan 1 tag with the hand emojis. What you’ll want to look out for over here are inconsistencies:

  • Fake tags use a visibly thinner font which grants us the quickest way to legit check Travis Scott’s Jordan 1s.
    • We’ve highlighted the first “NIKE” word to point that out.
  • The text is not linear but rather printed (or sewn?) in a wavy manner.
    • Pay attention to the highlighted French “QUALITE”.
  • Notice the weird letter spacing found on the “MADE IN CHINA” row. Yes, these Travis Scott AJ1s are made in China but Nike’s factories would not allow inconsistencies like these to leave the factory line.

Not every authentic Travis Scott Jordan 1 tongue tag is cleanly printed, and wavy text occurs in authentic tags as well. However, never are these lines as wavy as per the fake example.

At the same time, weird spacing occurs as well on authentic tags — however, never would you find such wide gaps between letters on genuine pairs.

1.2. Lower-quality replica

Just to make sure nothing is unclear, we’ve uploaded a second set of fake vs real Travis Scott AJ1 comparison below:

  • Notice the significantly thinner font on the fake label.
  • The “GARANTIE DE QUALITE” is, once again, not straight but slanted.
  • Unhighlighted: the “S” in “SWOOSH®” is smaller than the rest of the letters, on the fake pair.
  • The 2 rows at the bottom have once again improper word spacing and even letter spacing in some cases.

Keep in mind, these inconsistencies that will allow you to legit check a pair of Travis’ Jordans may be varying, but they will always be there.


Finding it too hard? Have our experts legit check your Travis Scotts:

2. Suede effect

The suede must move and leave traces behind when rubbing the authentic Travis Scott Air Jordan 1s.

Therefore, where the authentic shoes were touched, they are supposed to leave a darker mark, like so:

  • Even though the fake shoes have their suede effect nuanced, it is not nuanced enough.
  • The authentic Travis Scott AJ1s have their suede effect concentrated.
  • An authentic suede fabric leaves darker traces and it shouts a more high-quality material than the one used to craft the fake shoes.

This issue always occurs on the fake low-top Travis Scott 1s. They’re made of the same material as the high tops!

3. Toe box

  • The legit shoes have their toe box looking thinner than the one on the fake shoes.
  • The authenitc shoes have their toe box looking deflated, while counterfeit shoes, most commonly, have their toe box looking too thick, with an over-inflated look.

Not sure whether your Travis 1s are fakes?

Get our opinion

Our Nike x Travis Scott authentications team can always give you the answer. We’re here for you at any time!

4. Reverse Swoosh

You’ll find the reverse Swoosh logo only on the exterior sides of the Travis Scott 1s.

4.1. Top of the logo

  • The fake pair’s top edge of the Swoosh is too far away from the suede.
  • Besides, notice the rounded tip of the Swoosh on the fakes — that tip is supposed to be sharp, just like the original Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 example given above.

The first thing I’d look out for in this real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott comparison is the distance between the top of the Swoosh and its’ neighbour suede piece.

Whether you compare it to the white leather piece, the stitching double line or the brown suede part — it’s totally up to you.

All you need to do is keep in mind that the distance between the Swoosh and whatever reference point you’re using should not be as big as the fakes in the picture above have got them.

4.2. Placement near the laces

Up next, we can see the exact same flaw we’ve highlighted when it comes to the other end of the Swoosh:

  • The square end on the fake is a flaw. See the rounded end on the authentic AJ1 Travis Scott version.
  • The stitching thread is thicker and messier on the fakes. The real ones are all stitched in place.

The distance between the lace hole and the Swoosh varies on both original and fake pairs, so I wouldn’t use that as a reliable tell.

4.3. Stitching quality

Have a look at the highlighted details below:

  • The fake stitches are too thick.
  • They also do not fit deep into the suede.
  • Hence, they come out of the suede too much on the fake.

Speaking of stitching and messy jobs, have a look at this real vs fake Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott Cactus Jack comparison.

  • The fake Swoosh is “hairier” and messier.
  • Needless to say, that is yet another side-effect of the compromises fake manufacturers make, so as to replicate the sneakers at a lower cost.

Mind you, these are the best fakes out there, so they go for quite an interesting amount of money — it’s not like they’re trying to save up on production so as to sell these sneakers for $20.

On the other hand, they don’t want to (or maybe don’t have to…?) afford Nike’s factory equipment.

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. Insole

Inside the shoes, you can find the insoles, which are yet another small detail that’s always flawed on fake pairs.

5.1. Cactus Jack logo

  • Replica Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott comes with a visibly thicker font on the insole print.
  • Most visible in the letters “C” and “A” in the “CACTUS” text.

5.2. Nike logo

If you’re happening to inspect the NIKE AIR logo on the Travis Scott Jordans and not the Cactus Jack one, we’ve attached this comparison as well.

We’ve highlighted how you can spot the fake Travis J’s by noticing how:

  1. At the top, the thicker font is leading to less letter spacing.
  2. At the bottom, the same situation occurs.
  3. The print is also shinier on the fakes. This applies to the Cactus Jack logo as well, though it’s less visible in the comparison picture above.

6. Air Jordan logo

Finally, we’re looking at a detail that’s more visible on the outside — the famous Air Jordan wings logo.

Let’s have a look at the real vs fake Jordan logo comparison:

  • The fake logo comes with thicker/bolder letters and with more spacing between the small items that create the element — whether those items are the “wings” or the basketball.
  • The text “AIR JORDAN” text is too thick on the fake pair.
  • The “™” character is thinner on the fakes, in a counter-intuitive manner.
  • On the bottom of the logo the difference in craftsmanship and detail on that small geometric shape.

You’d think that if the letters are bolder on the fake version of the Travis Scott J’s, the ™ logo would as well be as thin as needed. That doesn’t seem to be the case.

7. Perforations

In order to see this flaw found on the fake AJ1 Travis Scott “Cactus Jack”, you’ll need to have a bird’s eye view.

  • The holes found on the toe boxes of these authentic Jordans are smaller and made with more precision.
  • These holes become smaller as they approach the central point. Not by a lot, but it does happen.

Pay attention to the lack of change in the holes’ diameter on the fake version, and that should teach you how to spot a fake Travis Scott Jordan 1.

8. Cactus Jack tongue logo

This tag consisting of the “Cactus Jack” logo can be found on the exterior side of the shoe’s tongue.

Have a look at the original vs replica comparison below:

  • Check whether the font is thick enough or not.
  • The fake version comes with a thinner font.
  • Some letters are closer to the right level of thickness, so we’ve highlighted the “t” and the “J” — the difference is the most visible there.

Want to get a professional opinion? Our expert Nike x Travis Scott authentications team is always here for you.

9. Box label

Over here we want to point out one thing, but before that: we won’t be comparing the font used for the actual text.

If you’re wondering why, it’s because we believe the box may not be the most important way to spot a fake Travis Scott Jordan 1, since fake shoes can be added to an authentic box.

Yes, it’s highly unlikely, but given the flaws we’ve identified above, we recommend you stick to them, rather than relying on the box’s letters.

Going back to the small detail we wanted to highlight, it’s this small extra label found here:

Please keep in mind that only US boxes will come with it. If that extra label is not there, chances are you might be looking at a European box label for the Travis Scott Jordans.

If it is there, though, it has to be detachable and not glued. All fakes that come with it have that area glued and not detachable.

Any price label that is attached but glued and not detachable is an instant call out for a fake.

10. Cactus Jack 3M logo

Coming up next, we will be analysing the fake Cactus Jack 3M logo and the real Cactus Jack 3M logo.

Note: when we say “3M”, we refer to the reflective logo which can be seen on the Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 in a certain light — or when exposed to a flash camera.

If it’s not visible enough, just take a picture with a flash camera and you should be able to see it.

Let’s have a look at the real vs fake comparison below.

What we’ll point out here is pretty straightforward:

  • The font on the fake Cactus Jack logo is slightly bolder.

We understand it might not be very easy to spot the bolder text, so we’ve attached a letter-by-letter visual comparison for you to spot it. But before that, let us address something.

Please note, this bold text flaw is happening on the top-tier fakes which have solved some older problems, such as the placement or the sizing of these 3M logos.

We won’t make fake vs real comparisons over the older versions of fakes where the logo was smaller than it was meant to be, since this problem was already fixed.

Once again, we recommend sticking to the flaws we’ve covered in the real vs fake Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 comparison above (Steps 1, 2 and 3 especially).

Even if this flaw will be eventually fixed (we hope it won’t be), those flaws we put at the top of a checklist are most likely to be fixed last.

10.1. Letter-by-letter comparison

11. Sole

Moving over to the sole, we’ve found one flaw that should help you authenticate the Air Jordan 1 Travis Scott sneaker. One is very important, while the other one may not be as relevant.

Let’s start with the important authentication way. Flipping over the Air Jordan 1 and looking at the top of the sole, you will see a “star” or asterisk pattern. Have a look at the picture below.

  • The fake shoes have a significantly more pronounced asterisk pattern than their authentic counterpart.
  • There are also differences in size and density, upon further inspection of this area.

In all honesty, this is not a go-to tell as much as the tongue tag is, since you’ll probably need a side-by-side fake and real Travis Scott Jordan 1 comparison to spot it out.

It is our job to mention it nonetheless and who knows — maybe it will be the deciding factor when authenticating Travis’ sneakers.

11. Cactus Jack face (back logo)

Flipping the shoe back to normal and having a look at the heel logo, we’ll point a few things out.

We’ll refer to this Cactus Jack/Travis Scott logo as the heat-stamp since that’s the technique used to embed this logo on the Air Jordan 1.

This item is placed in the lower half of the list since it’s becoming a hard thing to tell apart without an authentic sneaker next to it to compare. Nonetheless, it is still a good way to authenticate the AJ1 TS.

11.1. First comparison

Have a look at the authentic vs fake comparison:

  • The fake heat-stamp is too thin thinner and less defined than the real one.
  • The fake logo is also less pronounced.
  • Once again, compromises are made in the production of this sneaker so as to save on costs.

If anything seems suspicious when it comes to this Travis Scott logo, refer to our pictures here.

11.2. Second comparison

Below we’ve attached a second set of pictures to use as a reference:

In this case, we’re looking at a better version of a fake. Nonetheless:

  • The fake heat-stamp is weaker.
  • The “deboss” (or indent) is not as deep as you can see in the authentic example.

Again, easier to tell with an authentic example, so refer to our pictures at all times. Make sure you bookmark this guide!

13. Size tag

Since the size tag is not that much of a reliable tell, we won’t insist on microscopic comparisons.

Once again, we’ll refer you to other points which are faster ways to authenticate the Travis Scott Jordan sneaker.

Nonetheless, we need to mention how this type of size tag is always used on fake pairs.

Note: That doesn’t automatically mean that a pair with this kind of size tag is fake.

This is the traditional Nike/Air Jordan tag which does come with Asian releases.

If your pair of Travis Scott Jordan 1s come with this size tag, pay closer attention to the other tells. The reason why we’re adding this step to our comparison guide is that fake Travis Scott Jordans usually don’t come with the normal size tag.

This bit of information should help you weigh in on your decision if you’re on the fence.

Quite interesting, but such flaws apply to the low-top Travis Scott Jordan 1s as well.

14. Packaging

Last but not least, we’ll draw your attention to the packaging in which the Cactus Jack Jordan 1s come.

It might seem difficult to tell from a picture, but adding this piece to the guide might save a few people from getting scammed if they’ve got the pair in hand:

  • The wax paper found on the fakes is thinner than its authentic counterpart, so keep this in mind.
  • The fake paper’s shade of colour is also different because of the thinner material.

For some reason, fake manufacturers are sending out these Jordans with a darker pink shade, even though it’s impossible to tell from the picture above.

Keep these two things in mind, along with the following addendum: the prints on the fake packaging paper could also be washed out or faded.

Shortlist: Authenticate Travis 1s in 30 seconds

  1. I’d go straight for the tongue tag to see if I can quickly spot the bolded text.
  2. Touch the shoes in order to see the quality of the suede material. After touching the legit shoes, the suede material must leave traces behind.
  3. I’d also verify whether the toe box holes are as big as the ones found on the fakes.
  4. Last but not least, I’d analyse the ends of the Nike reverse Swoosh.

That, in other words, is how to legit check the Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 in 4 easy steps.

Naturally, the picture comparisons above will help you tremendously, but we’ve carved this checklist out so that you can have a quick, go-to place if you need to authenticate the Travis Jordan 1s in a hurry.

Expert authentication service: Travis Scott Air Jordan 1

It’s one of the services we offer. We’re putting out all these guides which will be free forever, but if for some reason you still have doubts, we’re happy to have a look for you.

Get our opinion

The process is simple: send us pictures of the pair you want authenticated and we’ll come back with a verdict in 24 to 48 hours (sometimes even faster).


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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