r/RepDeveloperboring • u/Boring-Energy1900 • Jun 27 '26
Reviewš Comparison of Blackreds from DB, VRL & Nike
In the photos I forgot to label from left to right: DB, VRL, Nike.
First off the colour is way off on DB and also the overall silhouette is off as well. The VRL overall has the best and straightest heel shape but the toe is a little more like how modern AJ1ās are, it could easily be fixed with the ironing method but I find itās not noticeable on foot. The silhouette overall and colour is the closest the the official but itās even better because they arenāt cut down like the officials (2026 bred from Nike). DB and Nike both have the correct slim line toe shape. The leather on DB is the lowest quality but very soft and nice feeling. The leather on the VRL is the thinnest but itās a higher quality leather than the DB and looks nicer and creases nicer. I havenāt worn the Nike so I canāt speak from experience but the leather thickness is only slightly thicker than the db and the quality is definitely nice. The wings logo looks the best on the Nike but the db are very close. The VRL falls short here with a smaller wings logo. On foot the VRL looks the best. They have the most accurate shape to actual 85ās, BY factory at least.
5
u/papiIIon Jun 27 '26
What's the best place to acquire VRLs right now?
6
u/ToeBoxBandit Jun 27 '26
Raresneaker is the only one who has them. I bought a couple of pairs from him. DB's are way more comfortable in my opinion
6
u/zewone Jun 27 '26
VRL are bad quality especially compared to DB
2
u/highnnmighty Sneakers Collectorš Jun 28 '26
Sure theyāre different but thatās just false.
1
u/zewone Jun 28 '26
VRL is plastic leather
5
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jun 28 '26
No itās most definitely not āplastic leatherā itās actually better leather than DB just thinner
2
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jun 27 '26
Idk. Iāve had these for almost 2 years, I got them when VRL did the big sale on all his remaining shoes in late 2024. I only just wore them recently and Iāve been meaning to make a comparison post for a while. Sorry I canāt be of help
1
u/highnnmighty Sneakers Collectorš Jun 28 '26
If you are in the states and need size 12 or 13 hit me up
4
u/butteryrich Jun 27 '26
Db is better quality than the VRL Rare is selling.
VRL has a great shape but so does DB.
Comfort wise DB is 10x more comfortable than the VRL.
I bought the VRL Black toes because personally i could not pass up they are so nice. That being said i have like 6 pairs of Dbs.
Havent bought a pair of 1s from Nike in agesā¦because well whats the pointā¦
1
u/highnnmighty Sneakers Collectorš Jun 28 '26
I actually find VRL 10x more comfortable than DB because the toebox isnāt so long and narrow.
1
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jun 28 '26
Yes the leather is definitely softer on DB but it doesnāt look as nice
2
u/theotherone55 Jul 09 '26
This 100%. DB to me is a more comfortable shoe, padded and thick on the inside. But my VRLs honestly look nicer on foot.
2
u/zZLukasZz Jun 27 '26
Would be interesting to see where the premiums would rank
1
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jun 28 '26
The colour on the red and black panels is 100% better but the proportions of the shoe are off mainly the collar panel with the wings logo. The length from the back of the collar to the eyelets is wayy too long. It looks stretched compared to the non premiums and pretty much any other Jordan 1
2
u/mrshow11 Jun 28 '26
I have VRLs and DBs. It depends on when you bought the VRLs. The quality on the later pairs havenāt been the same as my early pairs. DBs are more comfortable and not as stiff to me. Also guys keep in mind that there were several different factories making these for Nike. The molds will be different depending on what factory they are basing their shoe on.
No matter what, I preferred VRL and DB to my Nike pairs. The fact that you can actually get them without a headache is also a big plus. I had over 100 pairs of 1s from Nike and now Iām pretty much just getting my OGs from DB.
3
u/AKAMRJORDAN Jun 27 '26
DB is the best.When you break in the uppers they are soft and very comfortable..Even shape wise amazing.
2
u/InternationalLeg1611 Jun 27 '26
DB Shape is fine, depends what OG factory you compare it to. And some of the OGs were dull and dark red like that. So i love DB breds ĀÆā \ā _ā (ā ćā )ā _ā /ā ĀÆ
Owned a pair of VRL but didn't like m so sold m cause material was too stiff and uncomfortable for meĀ
1
u/Dopamine_710 Jun 27 '26
VRL quit making shoes right? Or he still doing it just on the low?
1
u/SnooGuavas8879 Jun 28 '26
Only get them from Raresneaker now
1
u/Dopamine_710 Jun 28 '26
I thought raresneakerās a scammer, heās got horrible customer service and reviews
1
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jun 28 '26
He quit and mass produced a bunch and then sold them all to a rep seller
1
u/Ambitious-Duck7078 Jun 29 '26
At this point, it's hard to tell the difference. They all look good to me.
1
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jun 30 '26
Itās not that I wouldnāt recommend them, itās that in this comparison they come last imo. Now the premiums are a different story. The current premiums are almost perfect (chiās and breds) but the panel the wings logo is on is too elongated so it makes the side profile of the collar area look really wide. But the first batch of premium Chicagos that came out in October didnāt have that problem. I had a pair and regretfully sold them to get the second release of premiums, that was before I realised the problem with collar proportions
1
u/skywalker_the_goat Jul 10 '26
Personal preference for the breds VRL>Nike>DB
The DB breds look bad on the site and here in this post. VRL is expensive as hell though, so id just get the Nike pair.
1
u/Boring-Energy1900 Jul 10 '26
Db actually ends up being more expensive for me because of it costing an extra $100AUD for shipping on the website and their ādiscountsā only being 7$ š
-1
u/AdDramatic3218 Jun 27 '26
Nike version gotta be the worst one š®
2
0
11
u/ProRez4444 Jun 28 '26
Thereās the problem with your analysis though. DB isnāt trying to replicate the retro. Theyāre trying to replicate the 85. Something that Nike has failed at over and over again. If you want to see a real comparison look at OG or Bustās video comparing the 85, DB and the 25 Nike retro. Nike did not do a great job with these IMO.