It can be difficult to buy authentic sneakers either in person or online, especially if you’re purchasing from someone other than Finish Line, the Niki Store, or one of the big chains that sells sneakers. Looking through Craigslist, eBay, or the Facebook store can be a great way to find sneakers, but how can you discover whether or not they are real? To help you out, we’ve put together a list of four ways to identify fake sneakers.
1. Nike – That Shoe Was Never Made
This may be for any brand of sneakers, but there are tons of fake Nikes that were never actually made floating around. For example, they never made high heel Air Jordans or Spongebob Jordan Dub Zeros. We hate to break it to you, but some quick research on the internet will reveal to you that these shoes are fakes.
2. Any Brand – The Box Doesn’t Seem Real
Even before you look at the shoes, if the box seems off, you might be dealing with fake sneakers. If you’re getting an older retro Jordan, for example, you can expect lighter colors. The new Jordan Box is black and gold, however. This can be easier to copy. One key indicator that your shoes are fakes is that the cardboard box that holds them is ripped up or destroyed.
In some cases, the shoes are real, but the person who sold them to you hasn’t taken care of his or her box. In that case, you can study the tag on the box. Check to see that the size matches up, and check to make sure the font on the tag looks legit.
3. Full Size Run of Sneakers that are Rare
Let’s assume you’ve found a website that is selling sneakers, and you’re ready to buy. Let’s say you’re buying an extremely rare model like the Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” sneakers. The shoes sold out within one minute on the Nike Store website. So you might guess that something is up if they have this pair in every size you could possibly want on the website.
4. It’s too Affordable
Everyone loves low prices. But there is such a thing as too good to be true. You’d be surprised how many people are selling fake Jordans for a much lower cost than real Jordans. If something seems like it shouldn’t be that inexpensive, there’s probably a reason.
