Jordan 4 red thunder real vs fake

There’s no doubt that the Air Jordan 4 is one of the coolest and most popular models within the Nike x Jordan line. So, when kicks are this popular, you also expect to see loads of replicas on the market.

If you want to become immune to fake Air Jordan 4s, then you’ve come into the right place. We’re not going to bore you with any useless information, as we’re now going to dive into the most detailed tutorial on how to spot fake Jordan 4s.

First, let us mention that this tutorial applies to all colourways of the Air Jordan 4 sneakers.

How to spot fake Jordan 4 (all colourways)

The most accurate way to tell fake Jordan 4s is by looking at the size tag inside the shoes. Carefully analyse the thickness of the text. Most commonly, the fake Jordan 4s have bolder text than the one seen on the real deal. Another reliable spot is the stitching below the cage on the side of the shoes because fake pairs tend to have the stitching crooked, while the real ones never do so.

Step 1: Carefully check the size tag of the Air Jordan 4s

The first step in the Jordan 4 authentication process surely has to be the size tag, because this label can tell you whether you’re looking at a fake Jordan 4 in just a couple of seconds.

First things first, let’s have a look at the fake vs real Jordan 4 comparison image.

how to spot fake air jordan 4

This image compares the real vs fake Jordan 4 Taupe Haze size tags. If you want to read other tutorials related to this, have a look at the following: Jordan 4 Bred, Jordan 4 University Blue, Off-White Jordan 4.

You can see three flaws on the fake size tag, and they’re all quite the same. The fake Jordan 4 has its text too bold, and the letters are too thick.

If you look at the real Air Jordan 4’s text, you can see how all of the pointed inscriptions look thinner.

Step 2: Look at the stitching below the cage of the Jordan 4

The second-best way to spot fake Jordan 4 sneakers is the stitching below the cage (on the profile side of the shoes). In most cases, replica manufacturers pay less attention to this obvious detail, which gives us enough room to easily label pairs as fake or real.

High-quality replica comparison

First of all, let’s look at what’s considered to be the best Air Jordan 4 replica on the market, side-by-side with the real deal.

fake air jordan 4

Even with the high-quality fake Jordan 4s, flaws are still visible. You’ll always see the stitching below the fake pair’s cage having too much space between each thread. That makes the stitching inconsistent.

On the other hand, the real pair has its stitches placed closer to each other, leaving less empty space in-between the threads, unlike on the fake pair.

Low-quality replica comparison

Let’s also talk about the replicas, because there are lots of these floating on the market as well.

air jordan 4 legit check guideThis image comes from the real vs fake Jordan 4 Bred tutorial

This image helps you see how the stitching below the triangular-shaped cage is too wide on the fake pair. The real Bred Jordan 4 pair, as seen above, has less empty space in-between the stitches.

Moreover, the fake pair has its threads crooked, and they’re randomly attached to the shoes, while the real pair’s stitches follow a strict pattern, which gives the shoes a better look.

Unsure whether you have fake Jordan 4s? Let our expert Air Jordan 4 authenticators help you decide once in for all whether your pair is fake or not.

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Our team is here for you 24/7. All you have to do is just upload a few pictures of your shoes, sit back, and wait for us to come back with the verdict. More on that right here.

The steps we’ve written so far are the best ways to authenticate this item.

The next few steps are still reliable signs of authenticity but are for non-top-versions of replicas available for this item. We recommend sticking to the steps we’ve explained above to make sure you’re not drawing the wrong conclusions.

Step 3: Fake vs real Jordan 4 comparison from the back (care for the stitching)

According to your colourway, the rear side of the shoes might be different. Some pairs have the “NIKE AIR” text, and some other pairs have the Jumpman logo. Regardless, we’re going to talk about the stitching on the back, which applies to all Jordan 4s.

how to spot fake jordan 4 black cat

This comparison image shows you how the fake Jordan 4 has its stitching inconsistent: the threads are too thin, too short, and too little dense. Therefore, the fake pair has fewer threads than the real pair.

The authentic Jordan 4s also have their stitching all around the Jumpman logo being thicker and fitting deeper into the shoes, rather than the fake sneakers that are quite the opposite.

Step 4: Verify the AIR JORDAN text on the inside of the tongue

The fourth best way to tell fake Jordan 4s applies to over 99% of the colourways for the shoes, and that’s about the AIR JORDAN label that’s stitched within the interior side of the tongues.

how to spot fake air jordan 4 university blue

The image with the fake vs real Jordan 4 sneakers above shows you two flaws: the size and the thickness. In terms of sizing, you can notice how the fake pair’s “AIR JORDAN” text is too small, and how the real one’s text is bigger.

Regarding the sizing, you can also notice how all of the letters on the fake Jordan 4’s label are way too thin and narrow. The real pair’s letters are thicker and wider than the fake text.

Step 5: The overall shape method – rear heel bump

If you flip the genuine Jordan 4s to the profile side, you will notice how they have this kind of bump on the rear side. You’ll not always see this on the fake pairs.

real vs fake air jordan 4 off-white

The image with the fake vs real Off-White Jordan 4s above shows you how the fake pair has a pretty straight shape, rather than the real pair’s shape, which involves a curvature on the back.

Not sure whether your shoes are arched the right way? That’s why we’ve got a team of trained authenticators that are happy to help you decide whether your Jordans are fake or not.

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For the sixth way on how to spot fake Jordan 4s, we’re going to move back into the shoes. To get to the footbed, we first have to take out the insoles.

air jordan 4 legit check guide

This image shows you how the fake Jordan 4s have way fewer stitches than they actually need to.

On the left, you can see how the real pair has a pretty consistent density of threads. The right side’s image shows you how the fake Union Air Jordan 4s have a less consistent stitching job.

Speaking of the Union Jordan 4s, you might like the following legit check guides: Union Jordan 1, Nike Dunk Low.

Step 7: Follow the shape of your Jordan 4’s sockliner

The sockliner represents the highest part of the shoes. Most commonly, you’ll see the sockliner in a different colour than the rest of the shoes. For instance, the Travis Scott Jordan 4 is mainly blue, and the sockliner is the part in red, as shown below.

how to spot fake air jordan 4

The image with the Jordan 4 real vs fake pairs above shows you how the sockliner becomes too narrow on the area above the cage of the shoes. On the other hand, the real pair’s sockliner remains consistent all over the shoes.

Looking at the rear side of the fake Jordan 4, you can see how the sockliner is actually okay, but you can also notice how it becomes way too narrow on the left side of the shoes.

Step 8: Pay attention to the edges of the cage on the side of the Jordan 4

The cage is one of the most notorious details about the Jordan 4 – that’s why the cage is on all of the Jordan 4 colourways and collaborations.

how to legit check air jordan 4This image comes from the Kaws Jordan 4 legit check tutorial. Make sure to check it out!

Looking at the fake pair’s cage, you can see how its edges are less curvy than the real ones. The most noticeable spot is the bottom-right indicator added in the image above – the one on the bottom side of the triangle.

You can notice how the fake pair’s corner is pretty much straight, like a 90-degree corner. Then, you can also notice how the real pair’s corner is rounded.

Step 9: Air Jordan 4 fake vs real tongue stitching

The tongue is pretty much the same on every Jordan 4. Most of the newer Air Jordan 4s present the Jumpman logo with the “Flight” signature.

jordan 4 real vs fake comparison

This image shows you how the fake Jordan 4 Taupe Haze pair has its stitching too thin and how the threads are too long. On the other hand, you can notice how the real Jordan 4s have their stitches being smaller and bulkier.

Step 10: Bottom comparison between the fake vs real Jordan 4

Let’s flip the Jordan 4 real vs fake pairs to the bottom side, and talk about the Jumpman logo.

real vs fake air jordan 4 guide

The image above shows you how the fake pair’s Jumpman has its outlines improperly done, as there’s too little red paint and too much white paint.

You can also notice how the real pair has red paint all-over the 3D Jumpman logo, and how only the sides of the logo are white, unlike the fake pair which has white paint even on the top of the logo, where it’s supposed to only be red paint.

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Step 11: Look at the toe box of your Jordan 4s

Let’s go back to the profile side of the shoes because we need to have a little talk about the toe box as well.

how to spot real vs fake jordan 4

The image above shows you how the fake Jordan 4s have their toe box looking too flat. You’ll commonly see the counterfeit Jordan 4 pairs having a small toe box, just like the one above.

As for the real pair, this one is flawless, as always. Therefore, you can see how the real pairs are supposed to have a thicker and more inflated toe box than the fake one.

Step 12: Keep in mind that you should also check the box, if possible

If you’ve just got yourself a pair of Jordan 4s that came with a box, you should also make use of it when authenticating the sneakers.

how to authenticate air jordan 4

Looking at the fake pair’s label glued to the side of the box, you can see how the text is way thinner than it should be, and how the characters are placed too close to each other. The authentic boxes are quite the opposite.

If you’re unsure whether you have a real or fake Jordan 4 pair and you want confirmation from experts that carefully inspect kicks like this every day, then the Legit Check By Ch Authentication Service is what you need.

We confirm our knowledge by sharing guides like this one for free, where you can see what we actually look for when checking your shoes.

I was sold fake Jordan 4s. How can I get my money back?

If you’ve accidentally bought a fake pair of Jordan 4s and you’ve happened to pay through PayPal or via credit card, then our Certificate of Authenticity can help you get your money back.

We’ve helped thousands of people that got scammed with fakes to get their money back. See right here how a certificate looks like.

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What material is the Jordan 4 Red Thunder?

AIR JORDAN 4 RETRO "RED THUNDER" ($190) Black suede covers the upper with red on the eyelets, the material under the mesh webbing, and the midsole. A grey Jumpman hits the woven tongue tag and the heel logo, adding a nod to the OG black Jordan 4.