How To Spot Fake Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon

Last Updated on January 11, 2024 by Ch David

To spot fake Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon, look at the bump of the heel because replica manufacturers usually miss this detail. Another really important tell is the tongue’s badge, as fakes never get it right.

Looking to learn how to spot fake Nike Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon? Then no wonder, you are in the right place to learn how to differentiate between fake vs real Air Maxes.

The back story of this pair of sneakers starts like this: Sean Wotherspoon was the luckiest and most creative person out of the 12 participants in the Nike contest to submit a new design for the Nike Air Max.

His idea was to combine the upper part of the sneaker taken from the famous Nike Air Max 97 and the midsole from the Air Max 1 models.

Nike decided this was the best model out of the contest, and here we are with this beautiful shoe.

Without any further ado, let’s jump into the Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon legit check guide!

How to tell if Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon are fake

1. Tongue

1.1 Best replica

• The stitching all around the fake shoes’ tongue is too thin.
• The fake shoes have their wave placed higher than the wave on the authentic sneakers.

1.2. Mid replica

• The fake is wave improperly shaped.
• It is taller and less wide than the one met on the retail Sean Wotherspoon 1/97’s.

The original Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon have their wave on the tongue looking wider and taller.

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1.3. Low replica

• The fake shoes have extra threads hanging on the edges of the tongue badge.
• The fake shoes do not have their wave correctly centred, as it is placed too high on the badge.

The legit Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon have their wave placed correctly, having less distance on the bottom, unlike the fake shoes.

2. Heel bump

2.1. Side

• The replica AM 1/97 SW pairs miss the bump in the heel.
• In fact, the replica AM 1/97 SW pairs have that area too straight.

2.2. Rear

• As you can see, the replica Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon pair does not have the heel bump.
• Also, the fake Air Max 1/97 SW pair looks bulkier and thicker on every side of the shoe, while the legit pair is thicker just on the rear part of the heel, where the heel bump should be.

3. Interior lining

• The ankle lining of the fake AM 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon is different coloured.
• The fake lining looks a lot shinier than the interior lining of the legit pair.
• The material of the fake Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon interior lining is different.

In order for a pair to be authentic, the colour should look just like in the picture with the authentic Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon represented above, looking golden and nappy.

4. Stitching

4.1. Top-down

• The replica pair has a darker blue than the legit one.
• Also, the pink looks dirtier than the authentic pair.
• On the fake Air Max 1/97, the blue line is a lot shorter than the legit one.
• In some angles, the fake pair makes the pink look line bigger.

4.2. Rear

Again, here we have another angle for the stitching on the Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon.

• The same problem is visible from this angle too.

5. Swoosh

5.1. Patch

• The Sean Wotherspoon 1/97 brown swoosh patch has the wrong shape on the fake pair.
• The Swoosh looks less sharp than the authentic one, and it has poorer stitching.
• Also, at the top of the Swoosh, it looks too thick on the fake pair.

5.2. Placement

Then, pay attention to the placement of the golden Swoosh and the stitching that’s outlining the patch.

• The fake Swoosh is placed too much to the left side of the brown patch.
• The fake Air Max 1/97 SW pair has the whole Swoosh looking too thick and big compared to the retail logo.

6. Glue stains

Glue stains are more common to appear on fakes of this shoe as there are several materials overlapping here.

• In the purple area, there are white parts of glue covering the purple colour on the fake.
• They seem to come from the black part above them.

7. Insole

• The insole on the fake AM 1/97 pair is differently coloured, as it looks darker and more concentrated.
• The fake Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon insoles look less reflective and shiny than the ones on the authentic example.

Shortlist: How to tell a fake in 30 seconds

1. Verify the tongue badge placement. Fake Air Max 1/97 SW sneakers often have the tongue wave positioned higher than the legit sneakers, and the badge stitching is thinner on fakes.
2. Analyze the presence of a heel bump. Authentic AM 1/97 SW pairs possess a distinct bump on the heel, which is usually absent in fake pairs.
3. Examine the interior lining. Legit AM 1/97 SW pairs have a golden and nappy interior lining.
4. Inspect stitching quality. Replica pairs often lack properly colored stitching lines identical to genuine ones, often appearing deformed.
5. Check the golden Swoosh on the brown patch. Fake Swooshes are frequently larger and thicker compared to the authentic Swoosh logo.
6. Look for glue stains. Replicas tend to have visible glue on the surface of the colored lines on the toe box.
7. Authenticate the insoles. Fake Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon pairs often have insoles that are less bright and shiny than genuine ones.

Certain scenarios might prevent you from following each intricate step outlined above when attempting to authenticate your Nike Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon.

This is precisely why we’ve created this rapid 60-second authentication solution for your Air Maxes.

Expert Air Max 1/97 authentication service

If you need help with the authentication of your Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon, we’ve got you covered.

All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Air Max 1/97 SW 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 guide on how to spot fake Air Max 1/97 Sean Wotherspoon pairs. 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