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Air Jordan 3 Real vs Fake Guide: How to Tell If Jordan 3 are Fake? (Sale+6% Cashback)

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Air Jordan 3 Real vs Fake Guide: How to Tell If Jordan 3 are Fake? (Sale+6% Cashback)

The instantly recognizable Jumpman silhouette made its debut with the Air Jordan 3 during Michael Jordan's 1987-88 NBA season. Air Jordan 3 has been one of the most essential Jordans ever since. It's the first pair of Jordan shoes equipped with exposed air cushions. At the same time, it's also the first pair of Jordan shoes to use the jump-man logo and it became the logo of the Jordan brand. With already a ton of counterfeit pairs on the market, today I bring a authentic vs. fake comparison of the Air Jordan 3 guide for you. It provides a look at every difference seen in the high quality fakes. And hope that will help you determine whether a pair of AJ 3 sneacker is real or fake. At the end of the article, there are a few websites to buy new and second-hand AJ shoes online for the cheapest.

Cover Photo:jordan.com

1、Receipt of purchase

Ask the seller for proof of purchase. If the seller is unwilling to provide, I suggest not to buy. The original receipt must include details such as provenance, time of purchase, amount paid, date and any other relevant information. There should also be a 9-digit style number as well as a barcode number.

2、The Box and Box Label of Air Jordan 1

1） New Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements are boxed in a strong shoe box usually featuring the Jumpman logo on the lid and side. And on the top of the lid, Jumpman logo can be seen from inside the box as well. Color and style of boxes can vary according to style and year. And you should also remember real shoe boxes can accompany fake shoes too.

2）Check that the top edges of the shorter side of the box are thicker than the long sides, and the top edge is squared off as opposed to being rounded.

3）Check that the print is solid with clean edges, check that the proportions of the Jumpman are correct and that the Jumpman logo's fingers and shoe laces are well defined.

4）Check the box carefully for any errors in brand logos, alignment, spelling and overall finish quality. Make sure the Air typeface is correct, note how sharp the tip of the A is.

3、Box Label of Air Jordan 1

Nike retail boxes feature a label on one side detailing style name, size, color, a style number, barcode, and country of manufacture. The style number is usually 9 digits long, the first 6 digits represent the style and the last 3 digits represent the colourway. Check that this style number matches the one located inside the shoe and on the sales receipt.

Do a Google image search for 'Nike'+'style number' to check the colourway；
Scan the barcode with a barcode scanner app, the exact product including size should be correct.

4、Wrapping

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements will come with elephant print wrapping paper to protect the shoes. Make sure that the printing is stable and clear. Make sure that the size/proportion of the pattern is the same as that on the box.

5、The Smell of New Jordan 3

Smell the shoes if you've already made the purchase. The fake pair often has a strong glue like odour. Replica Jordan 3 manufacturers will use cheap adhesive to put the shoe together which leaves a strong smell behind. If the glue smell is really strong to the point of irritating your nostrils, it probably be a fake.

Source:jordan.com

6、The Swing Tag

New Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements come with a transparent material swing tag with embossed Jumpman and AIR logos. It's attached to the left sneaker on the top eyelet.

Check that the tag comes with a silver ball chain attaching it to the shoe.
Check that the quality and finish is excellent and the Jumpman logo is correctly proportioned.
Turn the swing tag over you will see that the red colour is actually a red or yellow molded plastic panel glued to the back of a clear tag.
Make sure the corners of tag and the red printed panel has slightly rounded edges, especially noticeable along the tail of the Swoosh logo.

7、The Tongue of AJ 3

1) The Shape and Padding of Tongue

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements have a thick padded tongue. The tongue is naturally curved and made of two different materials.The join between the two materials should be neat and straight with no visible stitch line. The top edges of the tongue has rounded corners.

2) Jumpman Logo on the Tongue

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements have an embroidered Jumpman logo on the tongue. Check that the proportions of the Jumpman are c
orrect and make sure that the fingers and shoe laces of the Jumpman are well defined.
The stitching should be tight and neat, and the texture is made up of tiny randomly placed round dots all up against each other.

3) Tongue Strap

The Air Jordan 3 Retro has a tongue that is held in place with an elasticated strap.The elasticated strap provides the padded tongue with strong support, to improve performance and stability.There are two tiny triangular positioning marks cut out of the tongue material, there will be one on each side of the strap.

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8、The Heel of Air Jordan 3

There are two designs on the heel of AJ 3.

1）The releases with the Nike AIR text on the rear side.

New Jordan 3 Cements feature an embossed Nike Air logo on the heel. Check the quality and finish of the logo, the edges will be sharp and neat. Make sure that the typeface used is correct, the top and bottom of the 'I' should be rounded.

There are 5 layered rows on top of the Nike Air on the back heel, Make sure the 'KE' on 'NIKE' are connected. 'N 'and 'I' are not connected.
You can observe how the 'NIKE' text appears to be thinner the authentic sneakers. But the fake Air Jordan 3's have their 'NIKE' text looking too thick compared to the authentic shoes' text.
The authentic Air Jordan 3's have their rear 'A I R' text looking thicker and wider than the fake shoes' text. 'A I R' text looking too thin on the fake shoes, and it's also looking too narrow on the fake shoes.

2) The releases with the Jumpman on the rear side.

New Jordan 3's feature an embossed Jumpman logo on the heel. The quailty and finish of the logo and the edges will be sharp and neat.
The 'AIR'text rests on the edge of the cement overlay on the real pair but there is a gap between the text and the overlay on the fakes.
The rear Jumpman looking too curvy and too small on the fake AJ3 compared to the Jumpman met on the authentic sneakers.

9、The Stitching of Air Jordan 3

High quality stitching can be hard to replicate. the stitching on the heel of real AJ is tight, straight, evenly spaced and follows the edge of each panel evenly.

Make sure the double stitchline holding the plastic eyelets in place has a closed off stitch at either end.
Check that there is a thin single stitch line just above the top edge of the elephant print mudguard.
There are 2 rows of stitching on the elephant print on the toe box and another 2 rows of stitching on the toe. Fakes are known to have bad stitching and spacing.
Check the join between the upper and outsole is an even straight line and does not have any excess glue showing.

10、 Laces & Eyelets

1) The real Nike Air Jordan 3 comes with flat woven laces. The spaces between the shoelace tabs should be even. There are reinforced plastic lace stays at the base of the tongue to give strength and support to the eyelets. Make sure these plastic eyelets sit flush with the black leather upper.

2) The midfoot of the Air Jordan 3 has heavy duty plastic eyelets. The plastic will have a rough texture. Check that the eyelets have a slight curved shape to them, to follow the shape of your foot.

3) The last two lace holes on Nike Air Jordan 3 have a plastic inner. The stitching around these lace holes should be tight, neat and follows the figure 8 shape of the inner.

11、The Breathable Holes on Panels

The direction of the holes on panels is not the same between both pairs, the holes on authentic pair are in a descending order while the fake ones are ascending.

12、The Toebox of AJ 3

The real Nike Air Jordan 3s have a distinctive toebox shape. The toe mudguard and upper have a smooth curved transition to the top of the toebox. The heavy stitching joining the rubber midsole to the upper is tight and evenly spaced.

13、The Elephant Pattern

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements come with an elephant print toe and heel mudguard. The elephant pattern is etched into the upper fabric and not just printed on top of it. Each grey spot will have a black edge to it.
The cement print overlay has a higher cut on the fake air jordan 3. The pattern of the elephant print isn't the same as well. It's less dense and more spaced out and slanted on the real pair. The print is more compacted on the fake pair and appear to have a vertical direction.

14、The Inside Sizing Tag

Inside label details vary depending on year, country of manufacture and style. Check the style number, usually 9 digits, matches that found on the box.
Check that the tail of the Q in FABRIQUE starts inside the circle. Check for any spelling errors and that the glue area is uniform and neat. The production date will fall between the two dates indicated on the label.
The letters and numbers on the original tag are very bold, thick and easy to read, while they are very thin and pale on the fake. Besides, the overall size of the tag is larger on the fake model.

15、The Lining

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements come with soft padded lining around the ankle collar, pay attention to how the stitchline runs along the edge of the padded collar and then onto the inside of the upper.
The quarter panel liner is thicker on the authentic pair than it is on the fake. The tongue of the fake pair is crooked.

16、The Insole of Air Jordan 3

Jordan 3's feature the Jumpman logo on the innersole. Check the Jumpman logo proportions of the hands, feet and ball. Older models may feature the Nike logo.
Check that the typeface used is correct, note how the 'E' is joined to the Swoosh.

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cement have a soft fabric sockliner, and you can see the tiny loops in the weave pattern. It have a Nike Air logo printed on the sockliner. Check that the logo printing is solid with clean edges and that it's not worn out if the sneakers are new.

17、The Air Unit

Nike Air Jordan 3 Cements have Air Unit technology for lightweight cushioning and maximum impact protection.
The support structure within the Air Unit should be clearly visible. The Archsupport air cushion has fine texture and the air 'bubble' is clear and of high quality. The gap between the edge of the rugged grey area and the air unit is smaller on the authentic pair.

There is about an inch and half of space between the edge of the midsole and the screen of the air unit on the authentic pair, and barely any space between the edge of the midsole and the screen of the counterfeit pair.

18、The Outsole

Nike Air Jordan 3 have a distinctive outsole pattern with pivot point at the forefoot for added traction through tight turns. There are two patterns embossed into the sole: a Jordan logo or a NIKE logo. If the sneakers are new make sure the sole is not worn out.
Make sure the typeface is correct. Make sure the logo has sharp well defined edges. Make sure the K and E are joined. Note how the red paint on the logo wraps round the sides of the logo slightly.
The stars closer to the toe are much more defined and have 5 points. There should be a red circle with evenly spaced red circles around.The stars form a point in the center that is higher up than the rest of the star.

Source:jordan.com

Where To Buy Air Jordan 3 The Cheapest?

AJ sneakers are available in Nike boutiques worldwide and online. And you can also get a second-hand and vintage AJ sneakers on some resale websites! Sign up at Extrabux.com, you can get up to 6% cash back on new and second-hand Air Jordan 3 purchase at these sites！

Stockx.com

flightclub.com

stadiumgoods.com (4-5% cashback)

goat.com

footlocker.com

ebay.com (4-4.6% cashback)

Vestiairecollective.com (5-6% cashback)

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