Nike Inflict Wrestling Shoes Guide
Nike inflicts are one of the most sought-after lines of wrestling shoes on the market in 2020 and likely will be for years to come. Inflicts can be set apart by "the inflict wave", or the pattern on the bottom of the shoe. Nike inflicts all feature the same soles as well that very few other Nike models have had.
Nike inflicts are a shoe that's been growing more and more in popularity since about a decade ago when Nike released the Inflict 2s. The Inflict 2s sold like crazy, as well as the 3s, but the 3s aren't shoes you'll make a lot of money on since they're still on the market today.
Anymore there are so many models, colorways, replicas and even customs it's hard to tell whats real and what's fake. For example, in the picture below:
- The reds are original reissues with inflict 3 soles
- The blacks are original reissues with inflict 3 soles
- The blues are literally just custom made inflict 3s
To the untrained eye, all of the shoes above may pass as legit original inflicts in great condition, when all of them are either entirely custom, or have custom sole swaps done.
A Few Inflicts:
-
Nike Black & Gold Inflict 3 Wrestling Shoes
$210.00Only 1 left in stock -
Nike Black and Gold OG Reissue Inflict Wrestling Shoes
Out of stock -
Nike Black and Gold OG Reissue Inflict Wrestling Shoes
Out of stock -
Nike Blue and Black Custom “OG” Inflict 3 Wrestling Shoes
-
Nike Grey and Black Inflict 3 Wrestling Shoes
$235.00 -
Nike Red and Black OG Reissue Inflict Wrestling Shoes
Out of stock -
Nike Tokyo Olympic Edition Inflict SE Wrestling Shoes
$300.00 -
Nike White & Gold Inflict 3 Wrestling Shoes
Out of stock
Original Inflicts & OG Reissue Inflicts: What's The Difference?
Original inflicts and original reissues are extremely similar in design. The way to tell the two apart from one another is that the reissues have a "Lace Pocket" on the tongue vs just a stitched red Nike tag, as seen in the picture below.
Both the original inflicts and "OG reissues" came in a red/black, blue/black, and red/black colorways. The blue/black and red/black also have a significant difference in that the soles on the reissues are the color of the shoe (red or blue) and the soles on the originals are the tan "gum" soles found on all of the black colorways. The "gum sole" that' used on black original and reissue inflicts, as well as all of the original colorways is pictured below
The colorway you'll see most often of both the Originals and the Reissue Nike Inflicts is black and gold. They are all black, with a gold Nike Swoosh. The indicator on whether or not you have the originals is the lace pocket. For the red and black or blue and black colorways, the originals have a tan sole, and the reissues have red or blue sole to match the rest of the shoe.
Pictured below is a pair of black and gold reissue inflicts.
Pictured below is a pair of red reissue Nike inflicts. These are not originals because they have red soles, not tan.
And lastly, pictured below is a pair of blue reissue original inflicts. You can tell these are not originals because the sole is blue, not tan.
Original inflicts and OG reissues are typically in the same price range. In a size 8.5-11.5, a pair in perfect condition will likely bring you anywhere from $350-$600.
Olympic Edition: Real vs. Replicas
In this inflict line are also the Olympic Inflicts. The Olympic Inflicts are incredibly rare, however, replicas were made and sold on foreign sites, such as alibaba and a few others. Most Olympic Inflicts on the market anymore are not real and are "reps", short for replicas.
The biggest difference between regular and Olympic edition inflicts is that the Olympic Edition have a much larger Nike sign, as pictured below.
Real Olympic Edition inflicts came in the following colorways (as far as I know):
- Black with Gold Nike Sign
- Black with White Nike Sign
- Red and White
- Red with Gold Nike Sign
- Blue with white Nike Sign
- Blue with Gold Nike Sign
- Lime Green and Black (known as "Volts")
- Yellow with Black Nike Sign
All OE inflicts have the tan sole. Please note that just because they are the colorways above, doesn't mean they're real. If you don't know whether you have real or fake OE inflicts 99% of the time they're fakes.
The fakes came in A TON of colorways. The biggest difference is the feel of these shoes. The real OE inflicts are sturdy shoes with quality soles, whereas the replicas are not. The soles feel thin, even when they're brand new.
Another major difference is the Nike sign on the shoe. The real OE inflicts has a carbon fiber look/feel on the nike sign, whereas the replicas do not.
A brand new with box pair of OE rep inflicts still can be worth around $200-$300 since people love the look of these shoes. If you have the real OEs, you're looking at anywhere from $400-$1000 in good condition, with size and overall condition being the main factor in that price range.
Inflict 2s and 3s: Are They Worth Anything
Yes, they are. Inflict 2s, also known as OG Reissues, can be worth a few hundred dollars in good shape. Inflict 3s are still sold on the open market, so give it your best guess on their worth. If you're really lucky and have Inflict 2s in the grey and yellow colorway (as pictured below) you could be looking at around $400-$600, assuming they're in good condition. The first edition of the inflict 3, which were the blue/black, red/black, and grey/black are the most valuable colorways.
Picture above credit: https://www.instagram.com/drewrestler_shoes/
Interested in Buying OG, OE, or Reissue, or Yellow Inflicts?
If you're interested in purchasing a pair of inflicts, please check my Nike Inventory. It's constantly rotating with rare Nike shoes such as inflicts. I've owned every colorway of OG inflicts in the past.
Most owners of rare shoes are collectors and are willing to sell their shoes for the right price, so hit up eBay, Instagram and Facebook wrestling shoe groups!
Meet The Author
I'm Nolan Barger. I've been collecting wrestling shoes for over 15 years, and I'm the owner of Rare Wrestling Shoes Co. I've bought, sold, and traded more than 1000 pairs of shoes in these years and currently have around 150 pairs in my collection.
As my day job, I work for WebFX, a digital marketing agency headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I built this site to combine my love for digital marketing with my love for wrestling and wrestling shoes. My goal of it is to provide helpful information such as photos, price ranges, and more for those looking to learn more about the shoes they have or are looking for.
In my wrestling career, I was a PA state medalist and a 3x NCAA All-American for Lycoming College.
If you have any questions about wrestling shoes, please drop a comment below. I'll do my best to provide you with answers!
We're Social. Give Us A Follow!
About Rare Wrestling Shoes Co:
As a wrestling shoe collector for over 15 years, I'm constantly trying to buy new shoes and learn the history behind them. If you have questions about old-school wrestling shoes, shoot me a message.
Sign Up For New Posts:
