There are fewer sneaker dynasties more instantly recognisable than Off-White™ x Nike. Since its inception in 2016, Virgil Abloh and Nike have created some of the most sought after sneakers in the world. “The Ten” saw Abloh reimagine a selection of Nike’s most recognisable silhouettes. Now, almost three years and 40+ sneakers later, it’s safe to say that Nike x Off-White™ isn’t going anywhere.
One of the most sought after Off-White™ x Nike shoes in recent history was the “Volt Green” Air Force 1. Dropping as part of a two-part pack in 2018, the Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 “Volt Green” was an instant sellout. The combination of a bright green exposed mesh and the familiar Off-White™ details made them a big hit. However, as with any Off-White™ x Nike Air Force One, thousands of fake pairs were also made.
For this week’s episode of Real vs Fake, we’ll be covering the Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 “Volt”. As with any of our fake education guides, we’ll be giving you an insight into how our team of authenticators work. Our resident expert Dr KLEKT will be showing you how to check for fake Off-White Air Force 1s in a few simple steps. You can check out the full video analysis from Dr KLEKT below and keep reading for a more detailed insight!
The Test
Before we jump straight into the real vs fake Off-White™ Air Force 1, we’re going to put your knowledge to the test. One of the Off-White™ x Nike Air Force Ones below is real and one is fake. We want you to pick which you think is authentic and which is the replica. Can you spot which is which?
The Price
As with any Real vs Fake guide, we’re going to talk to you about the price of the shoe. For the most part, fake sneaker manufacturers will try to entice you in with a much lower price. The Off-White™ x Nike AF1 retailed at £120/€150. On the day, prices quickly hit well over three or four times the original retail price depending on the size. Currently, on KLEKT, prices start from almost €900 and only go up.
The one piece of advice we would give you on any sneaker purchase is that if it looks too good to be true, then it usually is. If the asking price is suspiciously low then the chances are that the sneaker is not authentic. Of course, whilst there may be some genuine bargains out there, the chances of finding a pair of Off-White™ AF1s at retail is not going to happen.
The Reveal
If you said the sneaker on the top was the real Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 Volt…you were correct! This was definitely one of the less challenging fake comparisons that we have carried out, but if you got it wrong, don’t worry. We’ll be showing you all the points that our authentication experts look at when legit checking any Off-White™ Air Force One.
The Packaging
There are a number of different areas that you should be checking for with the Nike x Off-White™ “Volt Green” Air Force Ones. However, depending on the quality of the fake, you may not even have to look at the shoes. On this particular fake Off-White™ AF1 Volt, there were a number of signs on the packaging.
The Box
As we mentioned, the packaging has a number of giveaways when it comes to Off-White™ x Nike sneakers. One of the simplest areas to check for is the box. You can see that on the real Off-White™ Nikes, the colourway description uses a thinner font. However, the fake box uses text that is much thicker.
This thickness can also be seen on the “C/O” writing. The real box has a slightly thinner print which is not as heavily applied. However, when you look at the fake box, this writing is much darker than on the real box.
The Tissue Paper
This fake Off-White™ AF1 Volt had a number of discrepancies, starting with the tissue paper. You can see that the tissue paper is too green in some areas, specifically on the lined sections. However, if you take a look at the real Off-White™ Air Force One Volt tissue, it is a faded green. The fake is nowhere near as good.
You can also see that the definition of the fake tissue paper is much worse than on the real. If you take a look at the “Jordan” wording, it is not as clearly defined as it is on the real paper. This is a small detail that can make all the difference.
The Zip Tie
Some details are a lot lazier than others, with this Zip Tie error being one of them. As all sneakerheads will know, the Off-White™ x Nike collaboration started in 2017. On all the Nike x Off-White™ shoes, the zip ties have the year “2017” on them. However, if you take a look at this fake Off-White™ Air Force 1, it has 2018. This was a small detail but it makes all the difference.
The Upper
There are various elements to the upper of a Nike x Off-White™ Air Force 1 “Volt”. As with all of these Off-White™ sneakers, the approach focuses on deconstruction. That means that pieces are designed to be exposed, such as the tongue. Below, we’ll show you just what to look at on parts of the upper.
The Foam
Virgil Abloh’s signature details can be seen throughout this Air Force 1 sneaker. One of those parts is the foam. The foam around the real Off-White™ AF1 ankle is consistent and has slight discolouration. This because the foam is designed to oxidize over time, giving it an aged look. However, the fake uses a bright white foam that looks brand new.
The Lace Section
One of the key areas to check out on the Off-White™ Volt Air Force 1 is the lace section. You can see that the lace section is a light brown suede on the real. This helps the volt green to take pride of place without causing too much of a clash. However, the fake uses a suede that is too dark and not of poor quality. You can see that it looks rough to the touch and also interferes with the volt green colouring quite a lot.
The Tongue
This is one of those details that were almost immediately visible when opening the box. You can see that the tongue is too thick and very wide on the fake Off-White™ Air Force 1 Volt Green. Up close, this tongue is also very rigid and bulky. However, when taking a look at the real Nike Air Force 1 tongue, you can see that it is not too wide and very thin. This was an easy spot and one that you should keep an eye out for.
The Swoosh
One of the most distinctive parts of all Off-White™ x Nike sneakers is the Swoosh. As with any Nike shoe, the Swoosh is without a doubt the most important part. However, on the Nike x Off-White™ sneakers, this Swoosh plays a much more important role. In particular, pay attention to the stitching on the Swoosh.
On the real Air Force 1, you can see that the stitching never overlaps, however, on the fake it does. Although this may be a small detail, it can help to determine a real vs fake Off-White™ Nike Air Force 1 pretty quickly.
The Printed Text
It’s safe to say that the printed text on real vs fake Off-White™ x Nike sneakers plays an important part. As one of the signature details used in Abloh’s original reconstruction of “The Ten”, it has remained a staple part of all Off-White™ Nike shoes. Depending on the quality of the fake, this text will vary. However, there are a few staple things that you can check for.
The printing of the words on the fake Off-White™ Air Force 1 is too defined until it is printed on the mesh. At this point, the printing fades and you can see that the job has been finished poorly. This can be clearly seen on the “e” of “Nike.” On the fake, the “e” is printed incorrectly and only starts on the mesh. However, on the real pair, the “e” begins on the plastic and carries over onto the mesh.
One final giveaway on any Nike x Off-White™ Air Force 1 Volt is the “1982”. You can see that on the fake shoe, “1982” is printed on a slant and slightly distorted. If you look at the real pair, however, this printing is clearly defined and printed in a straight line.
The Heel
Of all the sections you can check on real vs fake Off-White™ x Nike Air Force Ones, the heel can tell you a lot. There are a number of points on the heel that we will show you on how to tell fake Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1s, so let’s get started.
The Suede
Just like the suede on the lace section, the suede on the heel tab should be a similar colour. It should be a slightly lighter green and not take too much away from the Volt AF1 detailing. On the real pair, you can see that this suede is perfect and has a well-printed Swoosh that’s easily visible. However, on the fake Off-White™ AF1, this suede is too dark.
The Type
Every Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 has a style code on the heel. It is one of the defining points of the shoe that you should be aware of. If you take a look at the style code on the fake, the printing and type on the heel are too thick. The real is much lighter and also does not have as thick a font as the fake does.
The Mesh
As you can see, the differences between the mesh section on these real vs fake Off-White™ Nikes is miles apart. The mesh heel section is dark green on the fake, but the real shoe is a lighter green.
Recap
Let’s take a closer look at how to tell a real vs fake Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 “Volt”:
- The Price – if it’s too good to be true then it usually is!
- The Packaging – check that the tissue paper is a light green and not dark and take a look at the printing of the font on the box
- The Zip Tie – make sure that the year is “2017” and nothing else
- The Upper – check that the foam is slightly discoloured and not white, make sure that the suede on the lace section is not too dark and ensure that the tongue is not too fat
- The Swoosh – does the stitching on the Swoosh overlap? If yes, it’s fake
- The Text – check that the text is not too defined and that the “e” and “1982” are not slanted or too bold
- The Heel – make sure that the style code is not too thick and that the suede used is a light green
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed this guide on how to spot a real vs fake Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 “Volt”. If you ever need a helping hand or think that you’ve spotted a fake Off-White™ Air Force 1 for sale, then check back to this Real vs Fake guide. If you don’t want all the fuss of legit checking, then cop your pair of Off-White™ Air Force 1s on KLEKT today!
