Jordan 5 Raging Bull Real vs Fake: 2021 Retro Guide

To tell a Jordan 5 Raging Bull real vs fake, first find out which Raging Bull you have from the style code on the size tag. Then check the side profile and netting, the "23" on the heel, the shark teeth on the midsole, the silver tongue and its Jumpman, the icy outsole, and finally the size tag and box label against a genuine pair of the same release.

The photos in this guide compare a genuine and a fake pair of the 2021 retro, style code DD0587-600, which has an icy outsole and a silver reflective tongue. The genuine pair is on the left in every card.

Table of Contents

• Which Raging Bull Do You Have?
• Side Profile and Where the Pair Came From
• Netting
• Red Suede Upper
• The "23" on the Heel
• Midsole and Shark Teeth
• Silver Tongue and Jumpman
• Translucent Outsole
• Size Tag
• Box Label
• Frequently Asked Questions
• See If Your Raging Bull Is Authentic

Which Raging Bull Do You Have?

There are three genuine Air Jordan 5 Raging Bull pairs. Each has its own style code, so read the size tag before you compare anything:

• 2021 retro (this guide): DD0587-600, Varsity Red suede, released on 10 April 2021 at $190. Some European retailers, JD among them, sold it as the "Toro Bravo". It was the colorway's first standalone release, in men's and grade school sizes.
• 2009 Red Suede: 136027-601, part of the Defining Moments "Raging Bull" pack released on 30 May 2009.
• 2009 black pair: 136027-061, the second pair in the same pack, listed as the "Raging Bull 3M".

The 2009 pairs were sold together as a two-pair pack, 360968-991, in a box styled like a wooden crate. A single 2009 pair sold without the crate is normal on the resale market. For other Jordan 5 colorways, see our guide on how to tell if Jordan 5s are fake.

Side Profile and Where the Pair Came From

Start with the whole shoe from the side. On the 2021 pair you should see Varsity Red suede, translucent netting on the mid-panel, a black midsole with red and white shark teeth, a "23" on the heel and an icy outsole. The fake in our comparison copies every one of these features, so look at how they are made, not whether they are there.

Compare the overall shape and the proportions of the mid-panel. The arrows in the close-ups point at the edges of the netting window, where the suede frames the netting. On the genuine pair this frame follows a clean, even line.

Ask the seller for proof of purchase when you can. A receipt is one piece of evidence, not a verdict: most resale pairs have none, and receipts can be faked or come from another pair.

Netting

The Raging Bull has translucent netting on the side panels and on the tongue. On a genuine pair the netting is finely woven, its holes are evenly spaced and it sits straight in its window. Uneven spacing, a warped pattern or rough stitching around the window are reasons to look more closely.

Red Suede Upper

The 2021 upper is Varsity Red suede. Suede changes with light, brushing and wear, and its nap looks lighter or darker depending on the direction you view it from. Do not judge a pair by its shade of red, in person or in photos.

Look at how the suede is cut and stitched instead. The panel edges should be clean, and the stitch lines should run evenly along them, especially around the netting window and the collar.

The "23" on the Heel

The lateral heel carries a tonal red "23" outlined in black. On the genuine pair we compared, the black outline is bold and even, and the numbers are compact and crisply stitched. On the fake the outline is thinner and the numbers look wider and softer at the edges. Compare the shape of the 2 and the 3 in the close-ups, especially the curves.

Midsole and Shark Teeth

The 2021 pair has a black painted midsole with red and white shark teeth, a detail every Jordan 5 shares. Look at the shape of the teeth. On the genuine pair they are sharp, evenly spaced and painted with clean edges. On the fake we compared, their shape and spacing differ and the paint lines are less precise.

Also check the molding of the midsole, which should be uniform and precise.

Silver Tongue and Jumpman

The 2021 pair has a silver reflective tongue with a black embroidered Jumpman, a nod to the original 1990 Fire Red Jordan 5. Look at the Jumpman closely.

• The embroidery. On the genuine pair we compared, the stitching is dense and fine, and the ball, hands and feet are well defined. On the fake the figure is less detailed.
• The raised edge. The Jumpman sits in a raised outline pressed into the tongue. On a genuine Jordan 5 the tongue usually has a raised edge with a deep surrounding impression, while fakes are often flatter.

Do not judge the tongue by how bright it reflects, because reflective material looks different under every light and camera flash.

Translucent Outsole

The Raging Bull has an icy translucent outsole, so you can see the Jumpman logo through the rubber. The 2021 sole is clear with a slight blue tint, the "glass bottom" look. It is not red.

Icy soles yellow with age and light, so a yellowed sole on a worn or older pair is normal. A sole that is completely opaque on a new pair is worth a closer look, but clarity alone decides nothing. For more Jordan 5 sole comparisons, see our Off-White Jordan 5 Sail and Off-White Jordan 5 Black guides.

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.

What a Raging Bull tag should show

On a 2021 pair the tag should read DD0587-600, with dates that are plausible for an April 2021 release. A 2009 pair reads 136027-601 or 136027-061 and has an older tag layout, so never compare a 2009 tag with a 2021 one. Look at the print as well: it should be even and sharp across the whole tag.

Code checks that can expose a fake Jordan 5 Raging Bull

No code can prove a pair is real, but these checks can expose a fake label:

• The barcode belongs to DD0587-600. 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 DD0587-600 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 April 2021 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.

On a 2021 pair, the label should carry DD0587-600 and the same size and UPC as the tag. A 2009 pack came in its crate-style box, under the pack code 360968-991.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the style code of the Jordan 5 Raging Bull 2021?

DD0587-600. It released on 10 April 2021 at $190. The 2009 pairs are 136027-601 (red suede) and 136027-061 (black).

Is the 2021 Raging Bull different from the 2009 pair?

Yes. The 2009 pairs came as a two-pair Defining Moments pack in a crate-style box, while the 2021 pair was sold on its own. Their style codes and tags differ, so compare your pair only with a genuine pair of the same year.

Should the Raging Bull have a red outsole?

No. The 2021 outsole is icy translucent with a slight blue tint, and the Jumpman shows through it. A yellowed sole on an older or worn pair is normal ageing.

Are Jordan 5 Raging Bulls all suede?

The 2021 pair and the 2009 Red Suede pair have a red suede upper, and the 2021 pair adds translucent netting on the side panels. The black 2009 pair is the "3M" version. The 2021 tongue is silver reflective, not suede.

Was there a 2025 Raging Bull release?

We found none. When we checked in November 2026, the 2021 pair was the latest retail release. Be careful with listings that claim a newer release.

See If Your Raging Bull Is Authentic

If you are still unsure after these checks, send clear photos of both shoes from the side, the "23" on the heel, the midsole, the tongue and its Jumpman, 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 5 Raging Bull fails any of these steps, send photos to our Jordan authentication service.