Image via Complex Original
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We've all been there before — spotted a friend, an associate or complete stranger sporting some footwear that looked a tad suspect. You've always prided yourself on staying current with Nike's and Jordan's latest releases but, for some reason, you've never seen or heard of what this fraudster is wearing (aside from in a random Facebook virus). You want to tell this person that their kicks might be a sham, yet you're afraid that they'll get offended. But let's be real, fake sneakers are the offenders!
Nevertheless, we've still got to pay homage. In a humble factory somewhere in Putian, China, a lot of toil and creativity goes into the making of counterfeit, one-of-none lime green Jordans; they've also got designers and buyers that masterfully put their heads together, much like the guys in The Innovation Kitchen of Beaverton, Oregon. Furthermore, there's definitely something paradoxically intriguing about fake sneakers — some of the concepts are outlandish and their telltale, arbitrary prices give us the giggles. So, let's take a look at what's out there and please, do not purchase anything you see in the 20 Craziest Fake Kicks on the Internet!
Air Jordan 1
Air Jordan I Retro Fusion "Banned"
Price: $69.99
Hey NBA, if anything should be "banned," it should be these.
Air Mag
Nat-2 Future
Price: Free, we hope.
The Nike Air Mag was lifted from Back to the Future. Can we go Back to the Past and erase these from our memory?
Jordan 13
Air Jordan XIII White Dark Blue Red "Fashionable"
Price: $79.00
"The Nike Air Max Jordan 13 White Dark Blue Red Fashionable came out in 1997-1998. Stylist’s inspiration came from Africa cheetah, the shape of the shoe’s sole is like a sole of cheetah’s foot, the most admirable in the goatskin is Holographic laser icon, including: a basketball, number 23, air sign. In 1997-1998 season, all signs showed that Jordan would leave the NBA and would not come back anymore, so fans collected crazily all things about this super man. At the moment, the importance of the lauch of Air Jordan 13 was obvious. This became a large window of Air Jordan 13. Do you want to bid farewell to mediocrity? Come and become the lightspot! 2011 Jordan Shoes is at hand!" — Taken word-for-word from Nikejordanfactory.us
LWP
Nike Zoom Rookie LWP
Price: $60.00
Remember when Penny rocked those killer "Memphis Blues?" Well, these are just straight depressing.
Griffey
Nike Air Max Griffey I "Salt Water"
Price: $78.99
When a fish doesn't meet a certain standard, you've got to throw it back in the water. The same principle applies to sneakers, too.
Bengal
Air Jordan XI Retro Fusion "Bengals"
Price: $82.00
The Bengal Tiger may be endangered, but these should certainly be extinct.
TCU
Nike Air Max Uptempo 2 "TCU"
Price: $69.99
Similar to the Uptemo 2 "Duke," except TCU never played in these and never will.
Air Uptempo
Nike Air More Uptempo
Price: $89.99
Just because this colorway came out a few years ago does NOT mean that we forgot that the "AIR" was patent leather — instead of brushed rat skin.
AM 97
Nike Air Max 97
Price: $67.00
In case you thought the original AM 97 was too bulky.
Jordan 3
Air Jordan III Retro Fusion
Price: $70.72
Almost EVERYONE is now rocking their Black/Cements, here is your chance to rock them and stand out!
Kobe 7
Nike Zoom Kobe VII "Dark Knight"
Price: $95.99
Recently, we saw the Kobe VII "Wolf" and "Shark." Though animals seemed to be the current Kobe VII inspiration, bootleggers seem to be saying "Fuck that, we doin' superheroes, son."
Jamaican
Air Jordan 7.5 "Ackee & Saltfish"
Price: $62.00
A Jamaican delicacy served up in a Putian factory — what a fusion.
Jordan Penny
Nike Air Penny III x Air Jordan XIII Retro Fusion
Price: $64.00
Way too random! Who is behind this madness?
South Beach
Nike Air Max LeBron 9 "South Beach"
Price: $62.99
Yeah, the LeBron 8 "South Beach" was a classic. So let's just utilize that colorway on every subsequent sneaker in the LeBron lineage. That'll work.
Twelve 13
Air Jordan XII & XIII Fusion "Avatar"
Price: $48.72
Pandora is fake, but I bet they don't even have fiction like this there.
Yeezy Jordan
Nike Air Yeezy I x Jordan ? x Nike Air Max Fusion
Price: $87.99
We've seen the craziest of Yeezy Is, the yet to be released Yeezy IIs, and now this. Aside from J's, the Air Yeezy may have one of the most replicated signature lines to date.
Cool Grey
Air Jordan IX Retro Heels "Cool Grey"
Price: $94.99
Shorty could be cool, and she could be a 9, but if she has these on, she's nothing but a dud.
Knicks
Nike Air Max LeBron 9 "Knicks"
Price: $62.99
Ugh, if LeBron would've been a Knick. But that's not reality and neither are these. Feelin' the shoe overall, though!
Jordan Hill
Air Jordan 10.5
Price: $58.99
These look kind of like the Grant Hill 96, mixed with the Jordan X... And on meth.
Jordan 8
Air Jordan VIII Retro
Price: $72.99
But seriously, imagine what life would be like if you didn't really know what the real version of a sneaker looked like. You might get duped by something like this, and just like that your credibility has been stolen from you. Luckily, we're here to dispel all of the craziest fakes.