03/07 -- updated 09/07

The Nike Air Max 360's are one hot pair of shoes.  Since it hasnt been out very long there seems to be some confusion in determining whether a pair of Air Max 360s are fake.  Let this guide show you some important differences (with pictures) before getting taken for your money.  I must comment that after shopping on Ebay many Nike Air Max 360s listed are fake.  Every year the quality of fakes seems to get better, be careful out there!

The goal of this guide is to present a VISUAL and UPDATED way to most easily tell how to spot fake 360s.  All of the other things people have been saying in other guides you should still follow.  If a seller has a weird feedback pattern (e.g. suspicious listing activity as if they have multiple accounts and are just switching between them) or even if just a few people says the shoes are fake they probably all are.  Often people give positive feedback only to realize later their 360s are fakes so sellers get away with selling a ton of shoes before the community catches on.

First the box....look for the sticker on the real thing.  See here.

Another hint of authenticity is the sizing sticker on the inside of the box.  The fake box does not have this (however not all 360's do - I think most running models do).

When shopping look out for the big differences...See the picture below of the 360 BASKETBALL shoes (left is fake, right is authentic from Foot Locker in CA).  Notice the gradient like nature of the blue bottom sole on the real pair as compared to the solid blue on the fakes.  Secondly, the ends of the laces on the real Nike's are in Metallic like PLASTIC (like JORDAN shorts laces) and the FAKES have regular laces.  Notice the huge color differences. 

Here is another shot.  Notice the carbon fiber in the fakes are BLACK, and the real ones are WHITE.  If you can see this many large differences in a picture, imagine when you actually compare them side to side -- its a world of difference.  Its not even the same quality in comfort nor performance.  The tread quality is also not the same, the patterns are not the same either, close but not the same.

For the RUNNING models of Air Max 360 the major difference I found was the material of the shimmery silver material at the bottom of the shoe.  The fake shoes are hard and plasticy while the real shoes are soft and rubbery.  You can go to any reputable store and verify what the real thing feels like.  For the running shoes, I cannot express more the difference in feeling as you step.  Fake shoes feel like you are walking on rocks, and the real ones are springy and soft.  Literally as I drop fakes to the ground they clunk and make a huge sound, since they are so stiff.

When you get fake shoes let me give you just one example of the functional design you will be missing out on.

On the real shoes -- the main purpose of the little black treads in that shimmery surface (you can push these in and out as they are super soft) is to absorb the shock into the air sole unit since the black treads stick out just slightly so as you step these hit the ground first.  On the fake shoes, this silver material is hard as a rock, and on top of that those little treads do not hit the ground first as they are a bit recessed, so go figure what you are getting for your money.

Check out another comparison picture of 2 white soled running shoes.  The key to spotting a fake is in the sole!  Fake white soles have a more tranluscent look to them.  The real ones are more solid.

To emphasize this point more see another comparison of the newest black 360 ball shoes.  Take special attention to the sole and color (real is a maroon red, fakes are a bright red).  Also the shape of the air max 360 logo (one looks right, and the other out of shape).

In conclusion, fakes are crappy.  Crooked lines and stitching, cheaper materials, cheap laces.  But further than this -- its the functional design by NIKE that you will be missing.  Though shoes may be cheap to make individually - Nike does do a lot of research and design into the function of the materials and how they perform and wear for the athlete.  When you get a cheap copy, all the sudden you aren't paying for any of that function, and you are only getting the "fake look". 

If you get taken try to dispute through paypal.  Some sellers don't use paypal, hmm I wonder why.  Its illegal to sell these counterfeit materials in the US and you can report sellers to counterfeit at nike.com  --  Thanks for reading this consumer alert.

Note: This guide is an opinion and its accuracy is not guaranteed.