2008 Promo Samples: Are These Real?

[ungoliant]

I'm not really a sneakerhead but as a reseller I'm trying to get into the sneaker game. I found these at a thrift store for $7, and almost threw them away when i got home because the tag looks so stupidly fake, but I dont really know if older promo sample tags might have looked like this. the orange blue design on the side is not painted, it is a double-stitch orange and blue pattern across the whole upper, which suggests to me that someone may have actually put time and effort into these things. Let me know what you all think. If they are real, what would I even call these things?

 

[JRepp23]

Extremely interesting. I have never seen this colorway before. For it being a size 13 it makes me think its a PE of some sort. The stitching and tooling looks good. Mike Bibby had a 23 pe that matches these.

 

[JRepp23]

You may have something pretty cool there. Would love to hear what timmybrixxx has to say.

 

[ungoliant]

holy smokes, looking good. Thanks for taking the time to find those pictures

 

[JRepp23]

holy smokes, looking good. Thanks for taking the time to find those pictures

I couldnt find any online. But I knew I had seen those somewhere. Pic from a SoleCollector mag from years ago.

 

[ungoliant]

why is your magazine describing the colorway with varsity red? if its like mine then it should be more like spooktober orange.

 

[JRepp23]

why is your magazine describing the colorway with varsity red? if its like mine then it should be more like spooktober orange.

Maybe the red faded to an orangish over time idk. Depends on how they were stored also.

 

[ungoliant]

Maybe the red faded to an orangish over time idk. Depends on how they were stored also.

Can't speak to the storage. This was a $7 thrift pickup

 

[timmybrixxx]

I believe we are looking at a good pair of fakes with an older sample style tag. The red color was probably once closer to the actual color but age, storage, and cleaning probably played a part in the fading.
From my research Bibbys white PE had a red collar and inner lining. I will admit the tooling does look ok, however the shape of the toeboxs are a little distorted.
They probably based these fakes on the pair pictured by Jrepp above.
I've tracked down 2 fake sites selling a pair matching the pair in question and they offer a size 13M. Pictures of the white pair are pretty slim, but the black pair shows the sample tag and font wise and layout appears to match the tag in question. That tag looks suspicious IMO.

References:
Fake sites selling pairs like the one in question.

thetopshoesstore.com

thetopshoesstore.com

Legit sample tag from 08'

http://www.jumpmankicks.com/rareair/air_jordan_boxer/2008_olympics_air_jordan_boxer_pe-9.jpg

Judging by this I would have to lean fake on these..That's about all I have to go on. I'm not familiar with 23s that much honestly. Hope this helps man.

 

[JRepp23]

Well,,,I gotta go with what TBrixxx says here. And the evidence supplied. I would have not thought they would make a fake of this color on a 23. But obviously they do. Given the 7 dollar price tag, It seems to good to be true. U ungoliant no intent what so ever to sway you incorrectly. I thought they may have been real.

 

[ungoliant]

I do have some extra circumstantial evidence. These would have been worn during his first year with Atlanta, and these shoes were found in a thrift store in Acworth, GA. Very local to the area these would have been found in naturally. I plan to take these to Heet ATL to get an estimate for consignment to be 100% sure.

 

[ungoliant]

Had to add this in. I found Bibby wearing 2 different pairs of very similar XX3's but very not the same.

One of them has the red collar, but the soles are midnight navy or a close approximate. those are not the shoes i have, and they are not the shoes pictured in sole collector which should have varsity red soles that curl up around the toe cap with varsity red.

The second shot I believe are these shoes. I can't see any color up top at all but it is hard to tell much of anything except the soles are the same 'varsity red' as pictured in the magazine, you can see it curling up around the toe cap. The date this photo was taken was 11/8/08, the shoes I have have a manufacture date of 09/12/08 very close to the date these were worn on the court. Is there another XX3 colorway that has soles of this color?

Anyway I hope this might help lean towards real, and not fake.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks

 

[timmybrixxx]

I hate to be that guy man, but I think you're hyping yourself up here a little.
I've linked you to sites providing the same shoes for sale in a M13 along side replicas of the black pair with the same style sample tags. Same font same look.
You got them at a thrift store. People with legit Hawks Bibby PE (Especially in GA) knows exactly what they have. They don't come easily or cheap, I seriously doubt they would accidentally end up at a thrift store. I'm not saying it CAN'T happen, but the chances are slim to none honestly.
All Legit Bibby PEs available for sale are in Size 12 or 12.5. Could this be the only PE he wore in size 13 for some reason or another? Again, not saying it CAN'T happen just HIGHLY doubtful to say the least.
The Bibby "23" on the tongue PE (your top photo) doesn't match your pair. Also the other pair that you posted clearly shows a PE logo probably a "TD" on the tongue not a "23" as your pair and the replicas do. PEs are made in VERY limited quantities. They should all match the picture above in my experience.
The overall condition of the shoes. The red color is off, the shoes are worn. This wear didn't come from a game or 2 as just a PE IMO. It would be very rare for someone to acquire a legit PE and decide to wear them. Again not saying it doesn't happen, just not very likely.
I just feel with what we have to go on here the possibility of these being legit are really slim.

things you can try:
-Go outside in the sun and try to snap the clearest up close pix of the carbon fiber in the soles from a few angles.
-Maybe try a few other places for an LC as well and see if you get any other answers there.
-Maybe even go as far as to purchase a pair of the fakes and compare what you get with your pair...
I'm pulling for you man, I'm just leaning hard on them being fakes with what we have here. Good luck.

 

[ungoliant]

I appreciate the expertise, and you definitely right I'm hyping myself about these.

I honestly can't make out anything of whats on the tongue in that bottom photo at all, could be 23 or anything else. I'm not sure if the Team Dime logo is on literally all of his PE's, but but that is a downer you may be right about that. I dont think the top photo 23 should match because its a different colorway shoe altogether, and maybe not PE?

As far as the wear, it is suspicious. But if someone didn't know what they had, they'd be just as likely to wear them as to donate them to a thrift. Why they didn't know what they had?? Unknown, but you make a good point that that is unlikely.

Not sure if i want to go all out and buy the fakes for a comparison.

I did do another LC today, I took them to Heet ATL and talked to their buyer. He's giving them the green light, and his opinion is that the tag is legit, and thats after i showed him the red/black PE pair that doesn't match that style of tag. I did tell him there are fakes for sale that match the colorway. He also snapped some photos and sent them to a contact he has that used to work at Nike designing promo shoes, and I'm still waiting to hear back on that. He is interested in buying them from me once i get them cleaned up and relaced, and of course after he hears back from his nike contact.

There is also a guy on ebay that is credited on sole collector for a side-profile photo of these shoes, and i may try to contact him about these shoes as well, he may remember what was on the tongues, if it was 'TD' or '23' on the left tongue.

 

[solesupreme]

Your shoes are 100% authentic. Congratulations on finding this hell'u'va steal.

I'm sorry, but everything being said below and being compared to is totally incorrect.

I believe we are looking at a good pair of fakes with an older sample style tag.

That sample tag is not an older style, that infact was being actively printed in 2008 and continued for many many years later as well.

From my research Bibbys white PE had a red collar and inner lining. I will admit the tooling does look ok, however the shape of the toeboxs are a little distorted.

Absolutely nothing is distorted with the toe box, the lack of laces gives the shoe a wider appearance, otherwise the toe box is completely on par.

I've tracked down 2 fake sites selling a pair matching the pair in question and they offer a size 13M. Pictures of the white pair are pretty slim, but the black pair shows the sample tag and font wise and layout appears to match the tag in question. That tag looks suspicious IMO.

References:
Fake sites selling pairs like the one in question.

thetopshoesstore.com

thetopshoesstore.com

Those fake websites are using pictures of real pairs and they're offering a full size run. Majority of pictures on their website are stolen, this doesn't mean if that pic is found elsewhere it is deemed fake.

Legit sample tag from 08'

http://www.jumpmankicks.com/rareair/air_jordan_boxer/2008_olympics_air_jordan_boxer_pe-9.jpg

You're comparing a tag from a completely different shoe; there are many variations of tags every year. Different department can create their own variation, tags also differ based on the manufacturing country-factory.

why is your magazine describing the colorway with varsity red? if its like mine then it should be more like spooktober orange.

The magazine is featuring a Mike Bibby PE in Hawks colorway, your shoe is totally different.

And now to answer your question; your authentic pair of 23's is infact a Player Exclusive in the Charlotte Bobcats colorway made either for:
- Derek Anderson
- DJ Augustin
- Michael Jordan

Both DA and DJ wore sz 13 on court, though MJ wore 13.5 on the court, he wore 13 off the court and still does.

Fun fact: Jordan first became an investor in the Hornets (then the Bobcats) in 2006.

Here's a pic of the road Black/Orange colorway of an MJ 23 PE:

 

[ungoliant]

My head is swimming. Completely different colorway. Can't believe none of us thought of this to begin with. Thank you for the prompt reply to my ebay request for info, solesupreme. You are a gentleman and a scholar.

 

[JRepp23]

The only color scheme those were made for from what we know were for Bibby unless other pics can be provided to show different.

 

[JRepp23]

The CF looks real to me. But, unless someone has a fake maybe to compare to, I would have to go with what Brixxx said here. Believe me, I really want them to be real also. Awesome story really. Just not enough proof showing that yet.

 

[timmybrixxx]

Bobcat scheme actually does make more sense here based on this colorway. To me the toebox looked tall and bootish if you will. Much like fake 11s if you're familiar with what I'm talking about. Like I said, I was unsure but leaning fake on a Bibby Hawks PE.
As far as the tag, being it's 2019; a 2008-14ish tag style would be older correct? The tag looked odd to me which is why I questioned it. Now that you have cleared it up it's not an issue. I also understand pix can be stolen which is why I proposed maybe actually purchasing the fakes to be sure. To me $65 would be worth the piece of mind and a definite answer either way.
I'm glad someone who knows came along and shined a light on it actually being something different than we initially thought. I never even considered another team! Haha.. To me that is for sure more probable with the size etc.
Sounds like we may be getting to the bottom of it OP. The sneaker gods may be shining upon you!