The Air Jordan 4 has made a big comeback, with the iconic silhouette getting reimagined in new and exciting colorways to meet consumer demand. Unfortunately, while this is an exciting trend for sneakerheads, it is also bad news when it comes to counterfeiters entering the market. It’s already happening—Fake Air Jordan 4 Thunder sneakers have been found for sale on some websites. Be aware that they look convincing at first glance, but there are telltale signs you can use to detect them if you know what to look out for. Inspecting the materials used in construction and taking note of small details such as stitching or font make all the difference between a genuine pair a knockoff. Doing your research and never compromising on quality will ensure that you won’t be fooled by counterfeiters. Here are some things you can do to avoid the replicas.
I just shared part 2 on how to spot the fakes, see post below
1. Smell the shoes ( only if you’ve already made the purchase)
One of the dead giveaway is the smell/odor of the glue uses to construct the replicas. If the glue smell is really strong to the point of irritating your nostrils, then you’ve probably being dealt a counterfeit
2.Proof of Purchase
Ask for a proof of purchase. Receipt must include details such as provenance, time of purchase, date and any other relevant information. If a seller is reluctant to provide that, I will strongly urge to refrain from following through with the purchase.
When it comes to fakes, there are different varieties, the pair above happens to be a copy of the 2012 edition. When it comes to the Jordan 4, the one thing you always want to zero in on first is the toe box. The pair above has a bulky toe, that’s a quick dead giveaway. And if you also pay a close attention to the tongue liner, it is supposed to fold over and sits under the tongue, which isn’t the case with the pair above.
Toe Area: Fake Air Jordan 4 Thunder
The picture above is for the 2023 pair, as you can see again the toe box of the fakes is bulkier than that of the legitimate pair, see red arrow.
Netting
One other area that is also often flawed on most Jordan 4’s is the netting. As you can see in the picture above, the the netting isn’t rounder at its edges on the fakes, and its grids are much thicker.
This is a much clearer picture, you can see how the grids are slightly much smaller on the authentic pair.
Back: Real Vs Fake Jordan 4 Thunder
The differences here are very subtle but they are there. The heel overlay is cut slightly lower on the fake air Jordan 4 thunder, see red line. The red arrows show you how the midsole edge is much thicker on the authentic pair. And the yellow arrows show you how the plastic tab is also much thicker on the legit pair.
Inside Label:
If you come across a pair with a production date similar to the one in the picture above, I’ll encourage you to refrain from buying it. It is very possible that authentic pairs might have the same production date, but to be on the safe side do not purchase any pair with a similar production date.
There you have it folks, this is more like a preventive post. I’ll write an extended one as soon as I get my hands on much better picture of the authentic pair for a side by side comparison.
Be sure to also check out the posts below for more references on how to spot fake Jordan 4s.
