How To I nspect Shoes?

I nspect ion Checklist

The cont ent herein was creat ed by Shoem akers Academ y.I am uploading
t his file for inform at ional purposes only.I am not responsible for t he
accuracy, com plet eness, or reliabilit y of t he I nst ruct
1 ions.
Founded in 1983, Mescot is a well- est ablished Chinese shoe m anufact urer known for it s expert ise in privat e label
m anufact uring. I t boast s ext ensive experience designing and m anufact uring shoes for brands of all sizes, from st art ups t o
large com panies.

Capabilit ies:
Wit h 40 years experience, Our unique capabilit ies and t he flexibilit y of a Chinse shoe fact ory allows us t o work well wit h
alm ost anyone looking for design and/ or m anufact uring of t heir shoes, such as sneakers, pum ps, sandals, boot s, loafers
and so on.

Manufact uring:
Mescot have a dept h of experience in designing and m anufact uring privat e label shoes for com panies of any size, from
sm all st art up shoe com panies t o very large brands. We have provided shoe OEM&ODM services for m ore t han 20 well-
known European and Am erican brands.

Service:
Mescot offer a com prehensive range of services, from shoe design and developm ent t o m anufact uring and delivery. 7* 24
hours online service.

Click To Learn More: www.m escot [Link]

Click To Learn More:

86 Lat est Sneaker Designs 69 Trendy Pum ps For Wom en

105 Fashionable Sandals 87 St yles Of Wom en s Boot s

26 Lat est Design Loafers 23 Most Popular Flat s Shoes

2
How to Inspect a Sneaker

Quality Inspections: How to inspect a sneaker like a pro

Once you learn how to professionally inspect a pair of shoes, you will never look at them the same way
again. Quality is a very important feature for any pair of shoes you may authenticate, buy, sell, or make.

Knowing how to run a shoe quality inspection is a critical skill for shoe traders, designers, developers, and
product line managers. When a sneaker arrives, it is critical to inspect the materials, assembly technique,
and workmanship. Inspecting a sneaker is a great skill to have as a shoe buying customer in a store. Here
is how to grade and inspect a shoe like a professional.

Fake shoes are cheap shoes

)DNHVKRHVDOOKDYHRQHFRPPRQÀDZ7KH\DUHPDGHFKHDSO\DQGTXLFNO\7KHFRXQWHUIHLWLQJVKRH
IDFWRULHVZLOOVNLSDQ\H[SHQVLYHFRPSRQHQWVRUGLI¿FXOWSURGXFWLRQSURFHVVHV+LGGHQFRPSRQHQWVOLNH
internal airbags or carbon shank plates are left off. The counterfeiting factory will not waste time using
the shaping machines to heat and remold the heel counters and toe reinforcements. The fake shoes won’t
KDYHWKHVDPHVLGHSUR¿OHDQGWKH\ZRQ¶W¿WOLNHWKHDXWKHQWLFVKRH

Human hands
All shoes are made by human hands, so even an experienced and careful worker at a top Nike shoe factory
FDQKDYHDEDGGD\DQGPDNHDPLVWDNH<RXZLOO¿QGWKDWDVKRHSURYHQWREHPDGHE\1LNHFDQ
KDYHTXDOLW\ÀDZV,I\RXDUHVKRSSLQJLQDVWRUHMXVWDVNIRUDGLIIHUHQWSDLU<RXZRXOGQHYHUEX\DQHZ
car with scratched paint, right? So don’t settle for less when buying new shoes.

In this chapter, you will learn how to judge a shoe. Your eyes and hands are the only tools you will need.

3
Definition of shoe inspection quality “A,” “B,” “C” grades:
“A” grade shoes:
Shoes without any functional or cosmetic defects to impair the marketability of the shoe. High-quality
VKRHVZKLFKORRNJRRGDQG¿WFRUUHFWO\$Q$JUDGHPXVWIROORZWKHSURGXFWLRQVSHFL¿FDWLRQVDQGPDWFK
WKHDSSURYHGFRQ¿UPDWLRQVDPSOH

“B” grade shoes:

Shoes without any major functional defects that could cause injury to the person wearing the shoes.
These shoes may have cosmetic defects, production mistakes, or workmanship issues that cannot be
properly repaired. These will be discounted or diverted to markets more tolerant of cosmetic defects.

“C” grade shoes:

These shoes have major functional defects that could cause injury to the wearer or major cosmetic
defects that cannot be repaired. Shoes are also considered C-grade if they have poor workmanship or
material defects that could shorten the normal life expectancy of the shoe, or damage the company’s
reputation. C-grade shoes should be destroyed.

How to inspect a shoe

The main points of an inspection are as follows:
,VWKLVWKHFRUUHFWVKRHDPDWFKHGSDLU"
,VWKHVKRHFOHDQ"
'RHVWKHVKRHIROORZWKHVSHFL¿FDWLRQ"
,VWKHZRUNPDQVKLSRIKLJKTXDOLW\"
,VWKHVKRHGDPDJHGLQDQ\ZD\"

Let’s inspect a shoe!

7KH¿UVWVWHSLQDQ\LQVSHFWLRQLVWRUHYLHZWKHVKRHSDFNDJLQJ

Is the shoe in the correct inner box for its model?

Is the box presentable? Make sure the box is not damaged or dirty.
,VWKHER[WKHFRUUHFWVL]H"7KHVKRHVVKRXOGQRWEHFUXVKHGLQVLGHDWRRVPDOOER[

&RQ¿UPWKHLQIRUPDWLRQRQWKHER[HQGODEHOPDWFKHVWKHVKRH¶VFRORUPRGHODQGVL]H
Check any hangtags to ensure they are correct for the shoe.

4
Do you have a left and right?
Remove the shoes from the packing box.
$UHWKHVKRHVWKHVDPHVL]HDQGFRORU"
Check the shoe tongue label information.
In the factory, it’s easy to mistakenly put a right
VL]HDQGDOHIWVL]HLQWRWKHVDPHER[

Holding the pair of shoes, place the shoes bottom

to bottom.

Check for symmetry

'RHVWKHSDLUPDWFKLQOHQJWK"7KHVL]HPDUNV
may match up, but check that the shoes are in
fact the same length.

Now, holding the shoe from the bottom, roll the

uppers together side by side.
You are checking the alignment of the shoe parts.
Starting from the front, roll the shoes to align
the parts: toe caps, vamps, overlays, eye stays,
eyelets.

While you have the uppers side by side, compare

WKH¿QLVKDQGFRORUVRIHDFKSDUW

Next, hold the shoes up, looking at the heels.

Make sure the shoe sits on the outsole straight.
Check that the upper is not rotated off-center.

Next, rolling the heels together, check that the

back height and collar lines match.

Study the shoe bottoms. Do they match? Are the

color blocks in the same location? Look over the
midsole sidewall for wrinkles. Check the seam
joining the upper to the outsole. Look for any
extra glue on the upper, 2mm is the limit for “over
JOXLQJ´/RRNIRURYHUEXI¿QJRIWKHXSSHU
On the shoe bottom, check for color bleeding
between color blocks. Look for any paint covering
PLVWDNHV&KHFNWRPDNHVXUHWKHRXWVROHSDUWV¿W
together neatly without any extra glue.

5
 Colors and materials
While you have the uppers side by side, compare
WKH¿QLVKDQGFRORUVRIHDFKSDUWDQGFRPSDUHWKH
left to the right.

With suede shoes the leather color from shoe to

shoe may not match. For full grain leather shoes,
study the emboss pattern to make sure the parts
have the same texture. If the leather or mesh
parts have a direction to the surface emboss,
check that the pattern runs in the same direction.

Stitching
Next, look over the stitching. You don’t want to
see loose or broken stitches. Be on the lookout
for melted stitch ends. The shoe factory will use
a heat gun to melt off loose thread ends, this can
leave a small fused ball of melted plastic behind.
Double and single needle stitch lines are often
mixed on fake shoes. Compare the left and right to
make sure they match.

Look and feel inside

Now that we looked over the outside, it’s time to
dive inside. A great looking shoe with defects in-
side is not saleable.

Look inside the shoe opening. Is the lining clean

and free of wrinkles? Make sure the footbed is
VWUDLJKWOHYHODQG¿WVFRUUHFWO\,IWKHIRRWEHG
is too small, it may slide around, too big and the
footbed may wrinkle or curl.

Is the collar lining clean and without wrinkles? Run

your hand around the collar, feel for any lumps,
bumps, or glue. Next, run your hand down inside.
Feel around the edges of the footbed for wrinkles
or channel stitching defects.

Check the edges of the tongue for rough stitching

or creases in the edges. Make sure to feel where
the tongue is attached to the bottom of the shoe’s
throat. This area can have rough stitching or a
hard lump if the foam is not trimmed from the
base of the tongue.

Make sure to reach all the way down into the vamp
and toe tip. You are feeling for wrinkles in the front
edge of the footbed and any rough stitching.

6
Common shoe quality problems

Pressing marks

Poor stitching
Over glueing

Broken stitching

Soiled uppers
Rubber blooming

Hairy suede
Cracked rivets
Soiled lining
Over stitching

Rough cutting Grinning seams

Wrinkles

Systematic quality
When inspecting, it’s critical to decide if any problems you see are a one-time mistake or a systematic
problem that will effect every shoe. Remember, inside every factory, each operation is done by the same
worker. If the vamp stitcher is having a bad day, you may see lots of crooked stitching on a vamp.

If you are inspecting “inbound” shoes inside your warehouse, you already own the problem. Ask yourself,
“How did this shoe get this far? Who missed these problems inside the factory before the shoes shipped?”
+HDGVVKRXOGEHUROOLQJ<RXUIDFWRU\KDVD4&V\VWHPÀDZ&DQ\RX³¿[´\RXUIDFWRU\"0D\EH\RXQHHGWR
¿QGDQHZRQH"

7
Common shoe quality problems
When inspecting a shoe, there are common things
you should be looking for:

Are the shoes clean?

Clean shoes can be hard to make in a dirty factory.

Do the colors match?

Suede and natural leathers can be tricky to match.

How is the material quality?

Check for hairy suede or other material issues.

Is the cutting clean?

Check that the trim and cut edges are not rough.

Are there wrinkles in the upper?

Check around the collar foam. Rubber blooming - chemicals inside the rubber are
leaching out.
How is the stitching?
Check for crooked or broken stitches and stitch
holes without stitches.

Do you see any pressing marks on the vamp?

Are there any dirty or smeared logos?

Did you review the seams?

If you can see the stitches, this is called “grinning.”

How is the lasting quality?

Over lasting can pull seams near the toe apart or
cause wrinkles.

Is there any rubber blooming?

/RRNIRUZKLWH¿OPRQWKHUXEEHUSDUWV

Do you see the rubber color bleeding? Rough cutting caused by dull cutting dies.
How are the tongues attached? Check that they
are not crooked and are attached at the same
height.
Do you see any wrinkles on the foam parts?

Did you check for over gluing?

Glue should not extend more than 2mm above the
outsole edge.

$UHWKHUHVLJQVRIRYHUEXI¿QJ"
%XI¿QJVKRXOGQRWH[WHQGPRUHWKDQPPDERYH
the outsole edge.

Is there under gluing? Look for dry spots along the

sole without glue.

Did you review the outsole?

Check for any outsole parts splitting, cupped,
bowed, or crooked.
Rough stitching caused by poor workmanship.

8
J9//#"$/*((13,>$K$)&#13)+*'$3,'30#$%&#$"9//#"$+"#$ J(9>&$'%3%)&3,>$)+9'#0$/4$?(("$;("21+,'&3?6 J(9>&$)9%%3,>$)+9'#0$/4$09**$)9%%3,>$03#'6$
*#+)&3,>$(9%6$

D@#"$'%3%)&3,>$$ L+1?$?"#''3,>$1+"2'$ J(9>&$)9%%3,>$)+9'#0$/4$09**$)9%%3,>$03#'6$

#*%#0$%&"#+0$/+**'6 +3,%#0$"9//#"6 +3"4$'9#0#6$

+3"4$'9#0#6$ 9??#0$(9%'(*#$/(%%(16 "3,,3,>$'#+1'6

9
(("*4$%9",#0$'#+1$3'$*91?4$+,0$13'K'&+?#,6
(*("$/*##03,>$(@#"$%&#$(9%'(*#$?+"%3,>$*3,#6$ &#$ +3,%#0$"9//#"6$ ,'%+/*#$"9//#"$3'$4#**(;3,>$3,$ L$
'&(#$3'$+*'($03"%46$ &#"#$3'$+$*3%%*#$(@#"$>*93,>$(,$ *3>&%6
%&#$(9%'(*#6$

(;$ 9+*3%4$&+3"4$ /#**4 $'9#0#6$ #**4$'9#0#$ J(9>&$'%3%)&3,> $,(%$ (**(;3,>$%&#$#0># &RORUEOHHGLQJ7KHIRDPLQVHUWLVQRW¿WWLQJLQLW¶V

'%"#%)&#'$+,0$'?*3%'6$ '?+)#6

3DUWVGRQ¶W¿WWRJHWKHUFKHDSPROGVDQGSRRU J9'&#0$?+3,%$;("26 "3,2*#'$+,0$13'K'&+?#0$&##*$)(9,%#"$+"#$?"(( $( $

VWRFN¿WWLQJ /#3,>$31?"(?#"*4$1(*0#06

+)23,>$ (+1$3'$%(($'( %$+,0$)+9'3,>$;"3,2*#'6 9",#0$(9%$'#+1'$;3%&$'%3%)&3,>$'&(;3,>

??#"$3'$%;3'%#0$("$ )*()2#0 $09"3,>$*+'%3,>$
(?#"+%3(,6

10
I nspect ion checklist

11
Check the packaging
1. Is the shoe in the correct inner box for its model?

2. Is the box presentable? Make sure the box is not damaged or dirty.

3. Is the box the correct size? The shoes should not be crushed or loose inside.

4. Does the information on the box end label match with the shoe’s color,

model, and size?

5. Check any hangtags to ensure they are correct for the shoe.

6. Do you have a left and right shoe?

7. Are the shoes the same size and color?

8. Check the tongue label information to ensure it matches with the shoes.

Check the uppers for symmetry

1. Does the pair match in length? If the size marks agree, confirm the shoes

are the same length.

2. Roll the uppers together side by side, checking the alignment of the shoe parts.

3. Do the toe caps, vamps, overlays, eye stays, eyelets all match up?

4. How are the tongues attached? Are they straight?

Are they attached at the same height?

5. Hold the shoes up and look at the heels. Make sure the

shoe sits on the outsole straight.

6.

7. Roll the heels together, check that the back height and collar lines match.

12
Check the materials for defects
1. With the uppers side by side, compare the finish and colors of each shoe part.

2. Do the colors match? Examine them piece by piece. Check the backing colors.

3. If the leather or mesh parts have a surface emboss,

do the patterns run in the same direction?

4. Look over the stitching. You don’t want to see loose or broken stitches.

5. Are the stick lines neat, smooth, and do they follow the edge of the parts closely?

6. Do the stitching patterns match? Single stitch lines, double stitch lines,

and triple stitch lines.

7. Be on the lookout for melted stitch ends.

8. Do the thread colors match?

9. Check for hairy suede or other material issues or mismatched backing colors.

10. Are the cut edges clean?

11. Look at any rolled edges and check that they are smooth and even.

12. Check that binding edges are smooth with even edge exposure.

13. Do you see any pressing marks on the vamp?

14. Are there dirty or smeared logos? Check embroidery logos for dirt or snagged stitches.

15. Did you review the seams? If you see the stitches, this issue is called “grinning.”

16. Look for X-ray issues where overlays or seams are showing from underneath.

17. Check metal hardware for scratches or chips.

Make sure rivet backs are smooth, not cracked.

18.

19. Are the shoelaces the same length, color-matched, and free of snags or glue?

13
Check the outsoles
1. Do the shoe bottoms match? Are the color blocks in the same location?

2. Look over the midsole sidewall for wrinkles.

3. Examine the seam joining the upper to the outsole.

4. Look for any extra glue on the upper; 2mm is the limit for over gluing.

5.

6. On the shoe bottom, check for color bleeding between color blocks.

7. Look for any paint which may be covering mistakes.

8. Check to make sure the outsole parts fit together neatly without any extra glue.

9. Check for outsole parts that may be splitting, cupped, bowed, or crooked.

10. Is there any rubber blooming? Look for chalky white film on the rubber parts.

11. Do the shoes sit flat?

12. Does the toe spring match on the left and right foot?

14
Check inside the shoes
1. Look inside the shoe opening. Is the lining clean and free of wrinkles?

2. Confirm the footbed is straight, flat, and fits correctly, no wrinkles or curls.

3. Is the collar lining clean and wrinkle-free?

4. Run your hand around the collar, feel for any lumps, bumps, or glue.

5. Feel around the edges of the footbed for wrinkles or channel stitching defects.

6. Check the edges of the tongue for rough stitching or creases in the edges.

7. Make sure to feel where the tongue is attached to the bottom of the shoe’s throat.

This area can have rough stitching or a hard lump.

8. Make sure to reach all the way down into the vamp and toe tip.

You are feeling for wrinkles in the front edge of the footbed and

any rough stitching.

15
Check the fit and function
1.

2.

3. Does the shoe fit to size?

4. Does the shoe crease when the shoe is flexed?

5. Does the vamp dive when walking / standing.

6. Does the heel dig in while walking / standing.

16
How to Inspect The Nike Air Jordan 1 Mid OG
The Nike Air Jordan 1 is one of the most collected shoes in the sneaker market. This makes it the biggest
target for sneaker counterfeiters. Nike has produced millions of pairs in hundreds of different colors and

colorway is a “real” Nike product. Still, we have a great tool to detect fakes.

That tool is our compete quality inspection!

The Air Jordan provenance

We mail-ordered these shoes directly from StockX
to ensure they are authentic Nike sneakers. You
will see in the course of this inspection that no
shoe is perfect. Even this 100% real shoe made by

are individual to this pair of shoes and not due to

counterfeiting.

17
How to inspect The Air Jordan Mid
Check the inner box
packaging. The “inner box” is the box inside the case
packing. The box most consumers think of as the shoe
box is really the inner box.

Is the shoe in the correct inner box for its model?

Is the box presentable? Make sure the box is not
damaged or dirty. Is the box the correct size? The
shoes should not be crushed inside a box that is too
small. Counterfeiters usually skip the box. If they
do include a box it will be thin cardboard and easy
to crush and wrinkle. Look for spelling errors on any
printed materials.

Is this the correct shoe?

the shoe’s color, model, and size.
Check any hangtags to ensure they are correct for the
shoe.

Let’s inspect a shoe

Remove the shoes from the packing box.
Are the shoes the same size and color?
Check the shoe tongue label information.
In the factory, it’s not hard to put a right size 7 and a
left size 7.5 into the same box.

Do you have a left and a right?

-
matched pair of shoes. The shoes are made in pairs but

mixed up. Remember, if you buy shoes from a store,

Holding the pair of shoes, place the shoes bottom to

bottom.

First checks
Before we dig deeper into the quality inspection, it is a
good idea to give the shoe the quick once over to see
if the shoe is in new, unworn condition. Are the shoes
clean? Check the bottoms for wear and the uppers for
any smudges or dirt.

You can put your nose to work too. If the shoe smells
damp or musty, it may already have mold growing. If a
shoe was packed or stored in damp conditions, it could
have a funky smell.

Nike has switched to water-based and low VOC

cements, so if you are hit with an overpowering “new
shoe smell,” you may have a fake shoe made with
cheap, smelly glue.

18
 Packing details
We can take the time to review some of the pack-
ing details. For example, do the bar codes scan?
Does the UPC match the box label?

Do the shoes come with logo printed tissue pa-

per? Is the logo spelled correctly?

Looking at the shoe stuffer, we see the Nike last

code is molded into the paper. Nike uses the letter
“Q” on their lasts.

Turn the box over; in this case, we can see the

gold foil logo emboss. Not many counterfeiters
will spend time copying that detail.

19
Check for symmetry
Does the pair match in length? The size marks may
match up, but check that the shoes are in fact, the
same length.

Roll the shoes

Now, holding the shoes from the bottom, roll the
uppers together side by side.

As you roll the shoes together, you are checking the

alignment of the shoe parts. Starting from the front,
roll the shoes to align the parts: toe caps, vamps,
overlays, eye stays, eyelets.

Roll the shoes to a side by side position. Look at each

part to make sure they match and are in the correct
position.

20
 Heels and top lines
Make sure the shoe sits on the outsole straight. Place

Check that the upper is not rotated off-center. The

center line of the shoe should be straight up. Stobel
shoes can be “twisted” or “clocked” on the last.

This is a good time to look at the heel counter shape.

A correctly molded heel counter will have a slightly
convex or outwardly cupped contour. This shoe has the
ideal “hour glass” shape.

Next, rolling the heels together, check

that the back height and collar lines match.

Symmetry is a signal of a high-quality shoe.

Topline contour
With the shoes heel to heel, study the topline contours.
In this case, we can see the logo panel overlays are
perfectly straight, but the rolled top line seam is a little
wavy on the left side.

is due to the inside stitch line being off center, or the

lining was not completely or neatly folded down.

21
Colors and materials Edge treatments
While you have the uppers side by side, compare This OG version of the Nike Air Jordan Mid
has a special edge treatment not found on the
the left to the right. standard Air Jordan Mid. You can see in the
photo to the left many of the material edges
With suede shoes, the leather color may not are rolled. This is a labor-intensive operation
match from shoe to shoe. For full grain leather as it requires every leather edge to be skived
shoes, study the emboss pattern to make sure thin then carefully rolled over. The edge rolling
the parts have the same texture. If the leather operation is a combination of machine and skilled
or mesh parts have a direction to the surface handwork.
emboss, check that the pattern runs in the same
direction. Study the shoe to make sure the rolled edges are
smooth and constant. The Nike swoosh is die-
Stitching
Next, look over the stitching. You are looking for corners. When inspecting die-cut edges, the key
any loose or broken stitches. Be on the lookout is that they are smooth and clean without any
for melted stitch ends. The shoe factory will use frayed edges. A dull cutting die, or rough cutting
a heat gun to melt off loose thread ends. This mat underneath can cause cut parts to have
can leave a small fused ball of melted plastic jagged edges.
behind.
Turned edges and collar lines
Double and single needle stitch lines are often The top line of the collar line is made by sewing
mixed on the shoes. Compare the left and right the inner lining to the upper shell, then turning
to make sure they match. High quality stitching the lining inside the shoe to hide the seam line.
will be smooth and straight with even spacing. The foam padding is glued in place during the
You are looking at the space from the stitch line folding operation.
to the edge of the material and from stitch line
to stitch line in the case of a double-needle stitch This is the most common way to construct a
line. collar top line. A straight stitch line and careful
folding of the lining parts will create a smooth
You should also be on the lookout for empty collar line.
stitching holes. If a worker over stitches a line,
they may try to remove the thread, leaving Look for wrinkles and puckers along the edge.
behind an empty perforation.
caused by over-gluing inside.
Some components may require backstitching or
over stitching. You can see on the top eyestay
part of the Air Jordan, just to the right of the
logo, there is some over stitching. In this case,
the eyestay tab is sewn through the lining.
The over stitching is where the two touch lines
connect. This is not a defect.

22
 Outsoles and midsoles
Study the shoe bottoms. Do they match? Are the
color blocks in the same location? Look over the
midsole sidewall for wrinkles. Check the seam
joining the upper to the outsole. Look for any
extra glue on the upper; 2mm is the limit for

On the shoe bottom, check for color bleeding

between color blocks. Look for any paint covering
mistakes. Check to make sure the outsole parts

of the sole. Soft spots are evidence that the

inside of the shoe is not securely glued together.

Examine the top edge of the outsole where it

meets the upper. The trimmed edge should be
smooth.

23
 Inspect the inside
No inspection is complete without checking the
inside of the shoe. Now that we looked over the
outside, it’s time to dive inside. A great looking
shoe with defects inside is not saleable.

First look
Look inside the shoe opening, is the lining clean
and free of wrinkles? You should not see any
creases, wrinkles, or folds in the heel lining.

Have a look at the footbed. Make sure the

the footbed is too small it may slide around, too

big and the footbed may wrinkle or curl. Folds
or creases on the back heel of the footbed are a
sure sign of poor shoemaking and will cause the
wearer a heel blister.

Next, run your hand down inside. Feel around

the edges of the footbed for wrinkles or channel
stitching defects.

Check the edges of the tongue for rough stitching

or creases in the edges. Make sure to feel where
the tongue is attached to the bottom of the
shoe’s throat. This area can have rough stitching
or a hard lump if the foam is not trimmed from
the base of the tongue.

Feel all around the collar lining and compare the

two shoes to make sure the padding has not
shifted inside and does not have any glue spots.

Make sure to reach all the way down into the

vamp and toe tip. You are feeling for wrinkles
in the front edge of the footbed and any rough
stitching.

Feel around for any loose channel stitching

threads. These long threads should be trimmed
back or secured under the footbed. You can see
the tail end of the channel stitching threads are
often taped down inside. While not great, this is
not a defect.

made by the Strobel process.

24
Not perfect
Looking closely, we see some small things that
could be better. However, none of these issues stop
this shoe from being an A grade.

The foam edge of the eyestay lining can be trimmed

back. The melted thread ball can be clipped off. The
loose threads along the outsole can be trimmed off.

The red leather dust mixed with glue can be cleaned

off the outsole with a rubber eraser.

Even the wavy top line seam can be massaged by

hand to smooth it out.

25
Are Air Jordans good shoes?
Yes! Nike makes great shoes. This Air Jordan is a
well-made sports shoe. The upper is made with
high-quality materials. The workmanship is top
grade. The toe and heel counters are properly mold-

Additionally, all outsole parts are clean and carefully

trimmed. The color breaks, and mold parting lines
are clean. The rubber mold textures are consistent,
and the colors are matched correctly.

Assembly wise, the shoe assembly is good. The up-

Overall, these shoes showcase the high quality and

excellent craftsmanship what we expect from Nike.

26