HOW TO DISTINGUISH A FAKE FROM THE ORIGINAL
Buying sneakers is often pretty expensive. The joy you get from a fresh new pair usually supresses regret over the amount spent, but a problem arises when it turns out the shoe you’ve been dreaming of isn’t the real deal. In this article, we will talk about the phenomenon that counterfeits are, focusing primarily on fake sneakers. Keep reading to find out how to recognise fake shoes, what to look out for when shopping, and other tips so you never fall prey to fakes again.
Some fake sneakers can be recognized immediately, others not so easily. The number of people benefiting from the** sale of fake sneakers is large**, as is the range of “quality” of the fakes. When your adidas sneakers lack one of the three stripes, the Nike logo looks like a hangover or the waffle sole of your Vans are flimsier than the food itself, it’s pretty obvious you’re dealing with a fake.
But what should you do if** at first glance the sneakers look identical** to the ones you’ve been watching on various sneaker sites for weeks? Let’s take it step by step.
Shoe packaging
Your suspicion might grow even before your face-to-face encounter with the new pair. The box itself can be very telling of authenticity. If there are signs of damage, use or something grabs your attention at first glance, it’s best to investigate.
Your shoes arriving in a box is a good sign in and of itself. It’s much worse if your sneakers unexpectedly arrive wrapped in a few pieces of paper, or even a plastic bag. Some stores do offer shoe delivery without the box, but these are specific cases that you should be made aware of before the final click of your order.
Each box of footwear from a respected brand should contain the following information:
- Place of manufacture
- SKU code
- Barcode
- The name of the sneakers
- Size information
In most cases, you will find all of this information on the sticker on the box. In unique cases, it could also be printed directly on the box, but this is extremely rare. It’s best to expect the information to be printed on the sticker and if it’s not to take it as an indicator of a fake box.
Fake sticker?
Even fake stickers occur. When it does, distinguishing a counterfeit is a matter of detail. Look for any signs or signals. Most brands produce their stickers with a uniform format, font and spacing. If you have any suspicions, it’s best to search the internet for what the real sticker looks like, and compare it to yours. Be sure to** pay attention to inconsistencies in spacing between words or letters,** as well as the** differences in the details of the numbers and letters themselves.** Brands take their fonts very seriously, counterfeiters do not.
SKU code
The abbreviation stands for stock keeping unit, which can be understood as the number of the stock unit. This number, sometimes containing letters, is unique for each color design of each individual model of branded shoes. Using this, **you can find out on the internet **whether your product matches the ordered pair. Just type the code into your search engine and the results pop up immediately.
You can find the SKU code both on the mentioned sticker on the box and on the tag inside one or both of the shoes. As I said, sometimes it consists of just numbers, sometimes it contains letters or a hyphen. Remember how the SKU code works, because this is one of the best ways to detect fake sneakers.
QUALITY – MATERIAL AND EXECUTION
Recognizing well done fakes by materials or craftsmanship is clearly a discipline for experts, but you can become one of them. It’s hard to describe quality errors in general in great detail, due to the great differences between the various models released. However, there are a few general factors you can remember.
Odor
It sounds weird, but in recognizing fake sneakers, the eyes can be easily misled. The nose not so much. The materials brands use to make shoes are very specific, and so is their smell. Cheaper substitutes are made of cheaper materials and logically can be recognized by a stronger smell.
If you can’t compare your suspicious pair with the original, visit a brick-and-mortar shop, consult a specialist friend or follow the other tips on how to identify fakes.
Seam quality
The processes that naturally require the greatest precision also reveal the biggest mistakes. When inspecting the seams and comparing with the original, observe the distance between the individual holes as well as the quality and structure of the thread. Noticing imperfect seams before you’ve even worn the shoe can cause doubts, but remember that even real shoes can have minor manufacturing defects. Therefore, don’t consider seams a 100% reliable indicator of authenticity, sometimes it can simply be a pair that you should return with a warranty claim.
Complicated patterns
The more complicated the pattern, the harder it is to replicate the specific patterns. At first glance the shoe might have a visually identical concept, but pay attention to the small details that counterfeiters cannot fully copy.
Texture
Unless the counterfeiters sneak their way into Nike or adidas factories and steal their devices, they will never be able to imitate the surface structure****or the specific materials one hundred percent. The specific differences of fake models may not be obvious at first glance.
Only thorough, close examination can **reveal the differences **in the structure of the textile upper, the leather roughness (whether true leather or synthetic), details in the layout or the direction of the fibers or being prone to cracking, which is often an immediate signal to sound the alarm.
Where were the shoes ordered?
Alongside the large selection of shops selling sneakers, there are also websites offering counterfeit products. At first glance, it may not be obvious that a site is fake. You’d think that with how hard it currently is to run a business, it would be very hard to sell fakes.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true, as the thousands of tricked and disappointed customers confirm every year.
Are you sure your pair comes from a reputable shoe retailer? You can find out how to recognize a store selling fakes a few paragraphs lower.
Price
Does the price seem too good to be true? Unless you’re dealing with a sale on our site, you’d be right to suspect something. The corresponding price of the products should be available on the official website of the seller, or other stores with the same pair.
The world of sneakers has some relatively strict unwritten rules. One is regarding price, and even though it’s already been said in this article, it’s important to go by it – if the price is too good to be true, something isn’t right.
Prevention precedes being fooled. Purely by reading an article such as this one, dealing with how to identify a counterfeit, you have the most important part behind you. But if I was to sum up the rules into three basic indicators, they would be as follows.
- A price that’s too low
- A suspicious seller
- Absent guarantees of authenticity
