Originally posted on Housakicks
The Jordan 4 Royalty is set to release officially on February 5; the shoes feature a black based nubuck/suede upper with gold highlights on the tongue, metal eyelets and heel panel. Like any other Jordan Retros, fake early pairs have already surfaced and some third-party merchants across selling platforms are selling them. So I gathered up a few pictures to help you identify the fakes.
Real Vs Fake Air Jordan 4 Retro Royalty 308497-032
For some odd reason, the pirate factories can never get the tongue right on Jordan 4’s. A quick look at both pairs shows you how the lining around the tongue is off on the fake pair ( see yellow circle around the tongue- you can barely see the lining on the authentic pair). And the second yellow circle also shows you how the lining around the ankle area is thicker on the authentic pair ( it literally folds over on the authentic pair but barely noticeable on the fakes). The rectangles clearly indicate how different the side panels netting are between both pairs ( more bold on the authentic pair). I have added a little yellow arrow on the gold metal eyelets that complete that straps to show you how the eyelet on the fakes overshadows the liner near the tongue ( on the authentic pair you can clearly there is space between the eyelet and the liner).
The Jumpman on both pairs does not look the same; the top yellow circle gives you a better view of the lining around the tongue between both pairs ( barely noticeable on the authentic pair, but on the fake you can see the grey lining)
The yellow shows you the different patterns at the forefoot area on the outsole ( you can see stars on the authentic pair, but on the fakes it looks like bumps or mountain peaks). The rectangles show you the poor paint job on the fake pair ( it looks neat and clean on the authentic pair and very sloppy on the fakes).
This is not an exhaustive checklist and I’m sure they will eventually make some upgrades to the fakes in the days to come. So Be careful and use sound judgement prior to buying these Royalty 4 from non retailers. Here are more pictures of the fakes below.
Air Jordan 4 Retro Royalty
Style#308497-032
Black/Metallic Gold-White, February 5 $190
