Branded shoes are a huge market, whether you are actively involved in the brand-name clothing ecosystem or not. However, like any product, a specific brand's success always brings fakes and counterfeits with it.
Whether you are buying them to wear or looking to resell a rare shoe for profit in the future, you want to know that you are actually buying the real deal. But how can you spot fakes, and what methods do you have for identifying the real thing on your own?
1 - Obvious Differences
One of the easiest ways to identify a lazy fake is through major differences in design. This could be colors, materials, certain design elements, or even the pattern on the sole - while this might sound obvious, many people do not even think to look up pictures of the real thing for comparison.
While many fakes will be harder to identify this way, you can always start with the most basic steps. Sometimes, it only takes one incorrect detail to reveal a fake, and not every forgery will account for all the small things that fans of the brand can recognize.
2 - General Quality
A fake pair of shoes might look similar to the real thing, but when you try them on, you can easily spot the difference. Many fakes are made out of cheap materials and are poorly constructed, or might use completely different materials entirely.
If you find a shoe that feels far too cheap for the brand, or was created as a lookalike without any consideration to how comfortable it would be to wear, then it might be a fake. This becomes especially obvious if the design does not even function as a shoe.
3 - Branding
A lot of brands use highly precise logos and other brand-related details that are meant to be hard to replicate. This can mean that many fakes do not quite match the real thing or are just slightly off, giving you an opportunity to spot a fake.
Look for any inconsistencies or minor variations in the branding. This can be especially true for internal branding, like marks on the insides of the soles, where many fakes are simply left unmarked.
4 - Low Prices
Branded shoes are a huge market and often retail at high prices. If you see a pair of shoes for sale at a price that seems too good to be true or is discounted despite being sold at higher prices from all other sites, it might be a fake.
However, you can't always assume that a low price is a sign of a fake. Sometimes, genuine shoes might go on sale or be discontinued, so you must be careful about jumping to conclusions. More importantly, this can also be a sign of a scam, so do not take risks for a deal that does not exist.
5 - Authentication Services
If all else fails, you should legit check your shoes . Many brands offer authentication services for their shoes, and you can get a certificate of authenticity to prove that the shoes are the real thing.
These services are often relatively affordable and run by specialists who know how to accurately determine if a product is real or fake. Not only can these prove if something is real, but they also leave you with a certificate of authenticity: a document proving a genuine product.
