Do you know if you have the real deal?

With any popular sneaker, there's a good chance out there that fakes have already flooded the market. One of the popular releases of 2013 is definitely the Air Jordan 1 Retro Hi OG "Bred". I'll admit that I bought a few sneakers from eBay from time to time.

And yes, I even got fooled with a few fakes too. But I believe that with a bit more research, I probably wouldn't have gotten ripped off with fake sneakers. So if you have to go to eBay to buy the AJ1 Retro Hi OG "Bred", please check out the rest of the post before you become another victim.

The Shoe Box

The box on the left is the real pair. The difference between the two is the size of the Nike font on the box. The real box features a smaller Nike font than on the fake pair. There's also a size difference from the boxes as well. The real pair features a much smaller shoe box than the fake version.

Lace Tab

Notice the difference in the shape of the lace tabs. The real pair has a more tapered look, whereas the fake pair appears to look a bit larger. Also be aware of the placement of the stitching as well. The stitching on the real pair should be close to the lace holes.

Wings Logo (Real)

The Wings logo on the real version has almost a smooth texture to it. The real version should feel ALMOST flat, and not as debossed as the fake version.

Wings Logo (Fake)

One of the ways to spot a fake AJ1 Retro Hi OG "Bred" is from the Wings logo. On the fake version, the logo feels more debossed. Meaning the stamp on the fake pair is deeper in the leather than the real version.

Back Heel Tab

Another easy way to spot a fake AJ1 is from the back heel tab. The real version features a shorter heel tab than on the fake pair.

Stitching

Besides the height of the heel tabs, another dead giveaway is the quality of the stitching. Notice how the fake pair looks like its been stitched by a 5 year old.

Lace Bag (Real)

Another telltale sign that if you have a fake AJ1 Bred is the lace bag. The real version comes in a fitted zip-lock bag that can only fit one pair of laces.

Lace Bag (Fake)

Whereas the fake version will come with a bag that could fit about 5 pairs of laces.

Shoe Insert (Real)

The real shoe insert should be in a light grey hue. It's also much sturdier than the fakes.

Shoe Insert (Fake)

Here's a look at the fake shoe insert. It's all-white and the cardboard is not as thick as the real version. The fake shoe insert also has a sheen that makes a squeaky sound when rubbed.

Size Label/Tag (Real)

One way you can tell if you have the real deal is the size label/tag. The real version has about a 1/4 inch border around the actual label.

Size Label/Tag (Fake)

Notice how the label of the fake version has little to no bordering at all.

via soleinformatics