When we last wrote about the Michael Jordan line, we mentioned how it is probably as well-known as the Nike’s swoosh—this also means that it gets a lot of unwanted attention from counterfeiters.
A few days ago, website Sole Collector published an article about the subtle signature details in Air Jordans—and one of them is a very clever anti-counterfeiting measure on the Air Jordan 4, re-released in 2012, which is designed to make it difficult to copy them.
Each pair of Air Jordan 4 Retro has “TWENTYTWELVE” embossed on the lateral side of the tongue, which could not be seen when it is being worn—this little detail sets the genuine branded sneakers apart from the counterfeit ones.
Sole Collector’s article also features other great hidden details that have fascinating stories—for instance, the Air Jordan 2010’s mid-sole graphic is actually derived from a quote attributed to Michael Jordan, which reads, ““I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
Read more about these awesome secret design quirks in the Air Jordans here—they may make you look at your Air Jordan collection differently.
[via Fast Co. Design]