Artist collaborations on sneakers have truly taken off over the decade or so. There are also fewer artists on the planet more notorious than Kaws (aka Brian Donnelly). The New York contemporary artist has worked with some of the largest brands on the planet including Supreme, Dior, and Nike. The latter of those brands has seen the 44-year-old creative work on everything from Air Max 90s to Air Force.
In 2017, Kaws had the opportunity to work with Jordan Brand on the Air Jordan 4. Being one of Michael Jordan’s most memorable basketball sneakers, the Kaws x Air Jordan 4 created a huge level of hype. A combination of premium suede featured some of Kaws’ iconic artwork such as his ‘XX’ branding and signature on the tongue.
With the excitement, however, a sea of fakes happened to enter the market. As you would expect, the Kaws x Air Jordan is one of the most faked sneakers on the market. Due to the popularity of the Kaws AJ4, there are a number of high-quality fakes that are entering the market. Here at KLEKT HQ, we see a fair few pairs of the Kaws x Jordan 4 come through on a weekly basis.
For the latest part in our fake education series, we’re taking a look at the ‘Cool Grey’ Kaws x Air Jordan 4. There are a number of high-quality replica Kaws Jordan 4s that continue to get manufactured and we got our hands on one today. We’ll be showing you what parts to look at when legit checking your Air Jordan 4 Kaws and some easy differences to spot. Without further delay, let’s take a look at how to spot fake Kaws Jordan 4s.
The Test
Below there are two Kaws AJ4s; one real and one fake. We’re going to test your knowledge and ask you to pick which one you think is real and which one you think is fake.
The Price
As with any fake pair of sneakers, the clue is often in the price. The Kaws Air Jordan 4 retail price was £295/€350; one of the most expensive retail Jordans of all time. Even now, two years later, the resell price is around €2,000+, well above the retail price. With that in mind, it’s important to think about whether or not you’ve really got a good deal or not.
If you’ve seen a pair of Kaws Jordan 4s for well under resell price or retail, then the chances are that they are fake. These are still one of the most collectible pairs of Jordan 4s around thanks to their unique details. As we always say at KLEKT – if the price is too good to be true then it usually is!
The Reveal
Those of you who said that the shoe on the right was the real…you’re correct! This was definitely one of the closer Real vs Fake guides that we have carried out. Some of the best fake Kaws Jordan 4s are very close to the real thing but there are some big differences that you can spot.
The Packaging
Before we even get into the sneakers, it’s important that we take a look at the packaging. As you would expect, most fake Kaws Air Jordan 4s have some issues with the box that they come in. Here we’ll explain some of the signs that replica Kaws Jordan 4s have with the packaging.
This particular fake came in very good packaging which shows how improved the replicators are. Whilst this box is still very close, there are still a few discrepancies.
The Print
One of the most unique parts of the Air Jordan 4 Kaws is the box. There are graphics of the Kaws Companion glove that cover the entire box. You can see that this glove print covers the entire box.
On the real box, this print is clearly defined with each graphic being placed perfectly. There is a clear definition on every single Companion glove, with the ‘X’ being visible. You can also see that there is stitching at the base of the glove print, with each stitch being perfectly printed.
However, if you look at the fake Kaws Jordan 4 box, you can see that these prints are not all consistent. Some of the glove prints are much clearer than others, with some having smudged areas.
The Label
With all-new Air Jordan 4 boxes, the labels are very consistent. They will all use the same combination of font and each has a very specific way that they are presented. You can see this on the label below.
One of the biggest areas to check is the font on the labels. The font on the real Kaws Jordan 4 label is thin, clearly printed and well defined. If you take a look at the ‘11’ you can see that these two numbers are close together.
When comparing the fake Kaws Jordan 4s, this label is close but not close enough. The ‘11’ is too far apart. You can also see that the font on the label is slightly thicker and darker than on the real thing; a small detail but one that makes all the difference.
The Stamp
If you want to know how to spot fake Jordan 4s, this is one sign that you should look for. Depending on the factory that your fakes come from, the replicators will leave a stamp somewhere. This is designed to be a calling card or a sign of the factory; almost like a signature.
You can see on the image above that there is a red stamp on the barcode of the fake box, but there is no stamp on the real Air Jordan 4 Kaws barcode. Whilst this stamp may not always be on the barcode, it will be somewhere on the box so examine the whole thing.
The Inside Packaging
With this being a premium Air Jordan sneaker, the Kaws AJ4s contained a dust bag to protect the kicks and custom hangtag. These two details have a number of key areas that you can check.
The Dust Bag
This dust bag has a number of areas that you can check in order to determine whether or not you have a real Air Jordan 4 Kaws ‘Cool Grey.’
You can see on the real dust bag that the printing is consistent throughout, with just enough being applied to the material. On the ‘XX’ logo (1), this printing is perfect and has been transferred with an even amount of paint. On the gloves that touch (2), you can also see that this printing has been well applied and the gloves do not bleed into one another.
The fake Jordan 4 Kaws dust bag, however, has a number of issues. One of the most glaringly obvious is the print quality. On the ‘XX’ logo, this printing has faded showing that the ink has not been applied correctly. When you look at the gloves that touch on the back, they have been overlapped and show a lack of care from the replicator.
The Hang Tag
Another unique detail to the Jordan 4 Kaws retro is the hangtag. This hangtag has been made using a luxury suede material; the same suede that can be found on the upper.
There is a much cleaner look to the real Jordan 4 Kaws hangtag as you can see. The ‘XX’ logo has been cleanly transferred and is almost set flat against the material, with just a slight raise to it. When taking a look at the Jumpman logo, the head is also another interesting point. You can clearly see that there is a shape to the head with a definition between the head and the arm.
When taking a closer look at the fake Jordan 4 Kaws grey hangtag, however, this hangtag is nowhere near as clean. The ‘XX’ branding looks messy and is raised far too much against the material. When it comes to the Jumpman logo, there is no definition between the head and the arm, with both of these areas merging into one.
The devil is in the detail when it comes to Air Jordan 4 Kaws real vs fake sneakers so make sure to check as much as you can.
The Upper
With this being such a premium Air Jordan 4 sneaker, the quality is extremely high. There are a few big discrepancies between the real vs fake Kaws Jordan 4 and some that you should definitely be able to spot. Let’s explain just what the differences between these real vs fake Jordans are.
The Tongue Tag
As you would expect, Nike and Jordan Brand have cut no corners when it comes to this sneaker. One of the most unique parts about this Kaws Jordan 4 is the premium tongue tag that replaces the traditional basic one.
On the real pair, this tongue matches the suede on the upper. When you feel this suede it is soft and slightly furry, as you would expect. The Jumpman on this tongue is also slightly raised but not too much.
However, the fake tongue tag is nowhere near as good quality. You can see straight away that this tongue tag has not been made in the same material as the real Kaws Jordans. The Jumpman is raised far too much and the suede is not suede at all but more of felt material.
The Suede
As you would expect for a shoe that retailed at €350, the materials are second to none. Kaws certainly took no chances with this sneaker and made it as premium as he could for the price point.
On the real Kaws x Air Jordan 4s, the suede is buttery. It is very soft to the touch and the look and feel are second to none. If you take a look at the upper toe box, you can see that this suede looks great.
The fake Kaws Jordans, however, use much lower quality material, almost reminiscent of felt. It is nowhere near the real thing and looks and feels completely different. Replicators can’t compete with Nike when it comes to quality and it really shows on this shoe.
The Kaws Logo
Throughout the entire upper of the Kaws x Air Jordan 4s, there is the Companion glove print. On the real pair, this logo is very prominent and easy to see across the sneaker. You can see the quality and the individual detail on each of these graphics.
However, on the fake Kaws Jordan 4s, these graphics are almost non-existent. They have not been applied in the same way and the quality is much more inferior than on the real pair.
The Heel
For the Kaws Jordan 4s, the artist remixed the traditional heel tab. A completely suede sneaker, there is no plastic heel tab that you usually expect to find. There are also a number of key areas that need to be examined on the heel tab which we will explain.
The Rectangles
As with all Air Jordan 4s, there is a set of nine rectangles that can be found on the heel tab above the logo. On this sneaker, these rectangles are completely suede; a neat feature that adds to the allure of this sneaker.
On the real pair, these rectangles use a much longer haired suede in comparison to the fake which is much shorter.
The ‘XX’ Logo
The unique twist on one of the most iconic parts of this sneaker replaces the traditional Nike Air or Jumpman with the artists ‘XX’ graphic.
On the real pair, this graphic is well placed and raised just enough. The heel tab suede also matches the suede on the upper, with a clear focus on not differentiating the two sections.
However, on the fake, this ‘XX’ logo is raised far too much in comparison to the real. You can see that it is too defined and does not match the overall aesthetic of the sneaker.
The Material
When up close, these two sneakers really are miles apart in terms of the materials used. The fake Kaws AJ4 uses a felt material instead of the suede; a sign that they can’t keep up with Nike’s superior quality. When this suede is brushed you can see that the material moves, however, the fake does not.
The UV Test
As with all the KLEKT Real vs Fake guides, we’re finishing this off with the UV test. If you don’t have a UV light then get one. They are a cheap tool that can help you to determine the authenticity of a shoe. We use them for every authentication that we carry out here at KLEKT HQ and they show up some interesting signs.
The Side
This was a much better fake than some of the others that we have seen but a few signs did show up. The edge of the Air Unit lights up purple on the fake, however, it doesn’t light up at all on the real Kaws 4s. The Kaws logo stitched all over the shoe lights up a faint purple on the fake but doesn’t on the real.
The Upper
The Jumpman lights up purple on the tongue of the fake (similar to the keychain XX in the first image) however, it does not light up at all on the real. There are also stitching marks on the fake and there should never be on authentic pairs.
Recap
If you think you need a hand when legit checking your Kaws Jordans, just remember a few simple things:
- The Price – if it’s too good to be true then it usually is!
- The Packaging – check for the print quality of the box, specifically on the Companion glove graphic. Make sure that the label font is not too thick and that there is no suspicious stamp anywhere on the box
- The Inside Packaging – the dust bag print should be good quality, with no overlapping or blurring. The hang tag should also be a soft suede, with the graphics not too raised
- The Upper – there should be a premium suede used, the tongue tab should match this material and you should be able to see every individual Companion graphic
- The Heel – the suede on the rectangles should be long not short. Make sure that the ‘XX’ logo raised slightly and the suede should match that used on the upper
- The UV – no part of the shoe should light up under UV light, no matter what section!
Final Thoughts
As one of the most expensive retail Jordans in history, these sneakers will always have a high resell value. If you’re worried about whether your Kaws Jordans are real or fake, then check out this handy guide. If you are looking to cop a pair of Kaws x Air Jordan 4s then head to KLEKT!
