Jordan 11 Gratitude (DMP) Real vs Fake
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To tell a Jordan 11 Gratitude real vs fake, check the leather upper and laces, the side panels and midsole, the patent mudguard and toe box, the tongue text, the gold "23" on the heel, the carbon fiber plate under the outsole, the size tag and the box label. Compare each one with a genuine pair of the same release, because good fakes copy the colors closely and slip on construction and print.
The Air Jordan 11 "Gratitude", sold as the Defining Moments or DMP retro, is style code CT8012-170, White/Metallic Gold-Black. It released on 9 December 2023 at $230, with Big Kids pairs at $185, Little Kids at $100 and Toddler at $80. It reworks the 2006 Defining Moments Jordan 11. In every photo below, the genuine pair is on the left.
Table of Contents
[ open ]What Makes the Gratitude Different
The Gratitude looks like other white and black Jordan 11s at first glance, so know its own details before you compare:
- Leather upper. The 2023 pair uses leather where the 2006 original and most Jordan 11s use ballistic mesh. A Gratitude with a mesh upper is wrong.
- Higher patent mudguard. The black patent leather mudguard is cut high around the shoe.
- Metallic gold branding. The Jumpman on the side and the "23" on the heel are metallic gold, and the "23" is a separate piece rather than a print.
- Tongue text. The tongue reads "Quality Basketball Product Created In Gratitude By The Greatest Player Ever".
For other colorways, see our guide on how to tell if Jordan 11s are fake.
Leather Upper and Laces
Look at the leather on the toe and the vamp. On the genuine pair we compared, the leather has a visible, even tumbled grain. On the fake it is smoother and flatter, with less grain showing.
Then compare the laces. The genuine laces are finer and lie flatter, while the fake's are thicker and rounder, like rope. Laces are easy to replace, though, so give this less weight than the parts that cannot be swapped.
Finally, follow the stitching across the toe and around the eyelets. It should be straight, evenly spaced and the same length stitch after stitch. Irregular spacing or loose threads are a reason to look more closely.
Side Panels and Midsole
The circles in this comparison mark two textures. On the side panel, the genuine leather shows the same tumbled grain as the toe, while the fake's leather looks smoother.
The second circle sits on the white midsole above the outsole. On the genuine pair its surface has a fine, even texture. On the fake the pattern is coarser and looks more like a grid.
Check the gold Jumpman on the side too. Its outline should be sharp, with the arms, legs and ball clearly separated.
Toe Box and Patent Mudguard
Look at the toe box from the side. A genuine toe box has a well-defined, rounded shape that holds its structure. On fakes it can be too bulbous or misshapen.
Then follow the top edge of the patent leather mudguard from the toe to the heel. On the Gratitude it is cut high and follows a smooth line. A mudguard that sits noticeably low, or an edge that wanders, is worth a closer look. Patent leather is glossy by design, so judge the cut, not the shine.
Tongue
Read the text on the tongue: "Quality Basketball Product Created In Gratitude By The Greatest Player Ever". Check the spelling, the spacing and how evenly the letters are printed. Authenticators also check that "JORDAN" and the Jumpman line up correctly on the Jordan 11 tongue tag.
Do not judge the tongue by its wrinkles or by how soft it feels. Wrinkles come from lacing and wear, and a photo cannot show how firm a tongue is.
Back of the Shoe and the 23
The heel carries a metallic gold "23" on black. On the genuine pair we compared, the lines that make up the numbers are fine and evenly spaced. On the fake they are thicker, and the proportions of the design differ. Compare the close-ups line by line.
Below it, look at the patent leather where it meets at the back of the heel. On a genuine pair the seam is cut precisely and runs straight down the center. A poorly cut or off-center seam is a warning sign. The Jordan 11 Concord guide shows the same patent heel check on another pair.
Outsole and Carbon Fiber Plate
The outsole is a milky translucent rubber, and you can see the carbon fiber plate through it in the middle of the sole. There is no fixed shade to check. Translucent soles yellow with time and light, so a yellowed sole on a worn pair is normal.
Look at the plate instead. The circles mark its pattern on both pairs. On the genuine plate the pattern has a woven, textured look. On the fake it looks plainer and flatter. Compare it with a genuine plate, ideally from the same release. Our Jordan 11 Bred guide covers the carbon fiber plate in more detail.
Insole
Take out the insole and look at the print on it. The markings should be clear, sharp and evenly printed. Blurry edges or uneven letters are reasons to look more closely. Insole print wears off with use, so compare a worn pair only with another worn genuine pair, and never judge the insole by its color.
Size Tag
The size tag sewn inside the tongue or collar is the busiest label on a pair of Jordans. It shows the size in several systems, the country of manufacture, the style code, a UPC barcode, a short factory code and two dates. Nike has never said what the two dates mean. They are often read as the production window, but that is not confirmed, so treat them only as a rough check that they suit the release. Tags printed from around 2019 often add a QR code, and many genuine older tags have a barcode only. Counterfeiters copy genuine tags field by field, so a tag that agrees with itself shows the label is consistent, not that the shoes are real.
On a men's Gratitude the tag should read CT8012-170, and its dates should be plausible for a December 2023 release.
Code checks that can expose a fake Jordan 11 Gratitude
No code can prove a pair is real, but these checks can expose a fake label:
- The barcode belongs to CT8012-170. The 14-digit number after "UPC" on the tag is Nike's barcode for one style code in one size. A fake label can carry a real Nike barcode that belongs to another colorway or size, and it still scans. An authenticator checks that the barcode is Nike's number for CT8012-170 in the size printed beside it.
- The tag and the box agree. The box label prints the same barcode with one leading zero instead of two, plus a small two-digit add-on. Ignore the zeros and the add-on, and the digits should match the tag. A mismatch is a question for the seller, not proof, because genuine pairs end up in other boxes.
- The QR code uses Nike's alphabet. The 13 characters printed beside the QR use the digits 0 to 9 and every letter except I, L, O and U. Nike's own QR server rejects any code that contains one of those four letters, and a fake tag can print them. A well-formed code proves nothing, because qr.nike.com sends every well-formed code, even an invented one, to the same Nike page and shows no result.
- The dates fit the release. On the genuine Jordan tags we have read, both dates fell before the release, the later one by two to five months. A first date after the December 2023 release is a reason to ask whether the pair is a restock, not proof of a fake. Some fakes copy genuine dates exactly, so plausible dates prove nothing either.
- The patent line is spelled right. Recent Nike tags end with "This product is covered by one or more patents: www.nike.com/patentsvirtualmarking". A misspelled line or a different address is one of the things an authenticator compares. Older tags may not carry the line at all.
You can type the style code, the barcode and the QR code into our free Nike and Jordan code checker to run the format and match checks, and our guide to what a Nike QR code and UPC can show explains each code in full.
Box Label
The label on the end of a Jordan box repeats the shoe's details: the model name, the style code, the size, the colorway and a UPC barcode, and recent labels add a QR code. On a genuine pair in its own box, the UPC on the label matches the one on the size tag, while the box QR carries a different code from the tag QR. A second barcode sticker from a resale platform is normal, and so is a regional label on pairs sold in Asia. Box labels are the easiest part to reprint, so compare fonts and spacing only against a genuine box from the same release. A missing or replacement box is not a sign of a fake.
Box, Tissue Paper and the YDM Sticker
The Gratitude box is black with metallic gold, simpler than the 2006 Defining Moments box, and the tissue paper inside is printed with "Thank You" in several languages.
Both labels in our photos read AIR JORDAN 11 RETRO, WHITE/METALLIC GOLD-BLACK, size 13 and CT8012 170, so the wording proves nothing. On the fake we compared, the text prints heavier and the label background shows a mottled pattern that the genuine label does not have. Print differs between printers, so treat this as a detail of this pair, not a rule for every box. The Jordan 11 Jubilee guide has another Jordan 11 box comparison.
Some boxes carry an extra small sticker, which buyers often call the YDM sticker. Nike has never published what it means or which colors are correct, so it is not a check you can rely on. Compare the main box label instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the style code for the Jordan 11 Gratitude?
CT8012-170, White/Metallic Gold-Black. It released on 9 December 2023 at $230. The code on the size tag should match the box label.
Is the Jordan 11 Gratitude the same as the DMP?
Yes. Gratitude is the name of the 2023 Defining Moments (DMP) retro. It reworks the 2006 Defining Moments Jordan 11 with a leather upper in place of mesh and a higher patent mudguard.
What is the difference between the Gratitude and the Concord?
Both are white and black, but the Concord has a ballistic mesh upper, while the Gratitude has a leather upper and metallic gold branding, including the separate gold "23" on the heel. A leather upper is correct on a Gratitude.
How can you tell if Jordan 11 Gratitude are fake?
Check the leather grain, the midsole texture, the mudguard cut, the tongue text, the gold "23" on the heel, the carbon fiber plate, the size tag and the box label against a genuine pair of CT8012-170. One detail that looks right proves nothing alone.
Is a yellow sole a sign of a fake?
No. Translucent rubber yellows with age and light on genuine pairs. Judge the carbon fiber plate and the sole's shape instead.
See If Your Jordan 11 Gratitude Is Authentic
If you are still unsure after these checks, send clear photos of both shoes from the side and from behind, the toe box from above, the tongue, the gold "23", the outsoles, the size tags and the box label. LegitGrails authenticates Jordan from photos you upload, with results in under 30 minutes and a digital certificate with every order.
If your Jordan 11 Gratitude fails any of these steps, send photos to our Jordan authentication service.
