Nike shoes are a popular item that is often counterfeited. If you're not careful, you may end up buying fake sneakers for the original price. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep you from buying fake Nike shoes.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Buying Online
Step 1. Investigate shoe sellers on the internet
Be careful when buying Nike shoes on the internet. You can't see the product you're buying directly, so you can easily be tricked into buying fake shoes. To avoid buying fake shoes:
- Read website reviews and ratings before buying any product. Bad reviews are a clear sign that the seller is not reliable or trustworthy. However, be warned that some sites will only show good reviews. Conduct third-party investigations by entering the seller's name on a third-party search site and study their reputation there, not on the site itself.
- Make sure you are protected from fraud. Some online websites offer a return policy to their customers, even if the seller of the product is a third party on the site. A refund policy will protect you if the Nike shoes you purchased turn out to be counterfeit.
Step 2. Avoid sellers who use photos of shoes from the internet instead of pictures of real Nike shoes
Shoe photos from the internet may look more appealing, but they're not what you're looking for when buying shoes online. Photos that appear to have been taken inside the house guarantee that the shoes are in fact and that their condition can be matched with the photos.
You can try to contact the seller and ask them to take a photo of the shoe so that the authenticity or date of the photo can be ascertained. For example, ask the salesperson to take a photo of the shoes next to today's newspaper
Step 3. Avoid choosing Nike shoes that claim to be "custom" or "sample"
Genuine Nike shoes are only available in US sizes 9, 10, 11 for men, 7 for women, and 3.5 for children. There are no "special" or "various" original Nike shoes.
- View the seller's entire inventory. For unknown reasons, counterfeit sellers usually don't stock US size 9 or 13 and larger shoes.
- Old Nike shoes that are no longer in production are almost never available in all sizes. For example, if you search for old Nike shoes and find a site that has 200 pairs in stock, chances are these shoes are fake.
Step 4. Avoid Nike shoes that are sold much cheaper than the normal price
These shoes may be fake or badly damaged.
- In general, Nike shoes that sell for half the price are more likely to be fake. A reasonable rebate is more realistic, especially if the shoes are on limited sale or are old.
- The seller may offer a very high price but give you the opportunity to get a very low price. Be careful that you can't look directly at the shoes to confirm their condition and whereabouts.
- Check the estimated delivery. If the delivery takes 7-14 days, chances are the shoes came from China (the source of fake Nike shoes) or from another country that is quite far away.
- If you have to buy Nike shoes online, we recommend ordering from the company's official website or from a list of authorized Nike sellers.
Step 5. Don't buy any available Nike shoes before their official launch
The shoes were almost certainly fake.
The shoes may look like the latest designs, but they are most likely just made very similar. Photographs of the shoes that were disseminated earlier than their release allowed shoe counterfeiters to make them without genuine comparisons so that many people were trapped and tempted to buy the shoes ahead of others
Step 6. Check your Nike shoes
Once you've found a shoe you like, try to make sure it's authentic.
- Double check on the Nike website or a trusted seller to compare it to photos of the original shoe.
- Ask the seller to make sure the shoes they sell are genuine. You can also ask for the contact number of the supplier to ask for more information.
Method 2 of 2: Spotting Fake Nike Shoes Instantly
Step 1. Pay attention to the packaging
Most fake Nike shoes don't come with the original box. However, these shoes will be sold in clear plastic packaging or not equipped with a box at all.
Most fake Nike shoe boxes are glued together so they aren't as strong as the original Nike boxes
Step 2. Check the condition of the shoes
If you've owned Nike shoes before, compare them to your new shoes. If the quality of the two looks very different, your new shoes are likely fake and may break after a few days of use.
- Genuine Nike shoes are always softer and duller than the imitations. This is because Nike shoes are made of genuine leather, while imitations are made of fake leather.
- The midsole of fake Nike shoes tends to have visible spots as a result of the manufacturing process, unlike fake Nike shoes.
- Check the shoelaces. Authentic Nike shoes are usually fully laces, while the laces on imitations tend to be alternated.
Step 3. Check the SKU number on the box and the inside label of the shoe
Each pair of genuine Nike shoes comes with the same SKU number as the number listed on the box. If this number doesn't exist, or it doesn't match, it's probably a fake.
Check the label on the inside of the shoe. Fake Nike shoes often list sizes that are no longer in use. For example, a fake label might list the year 2008, when Nike first produced the shoe in 2010
Step 4. Try on the shoes
The soles of most fake Nike shoes feel like plastic and rub against the skin less, while genuine Nike shoes have a BRS 1000 rubber sole.
Most fake Nike shoes don't fit in size. Generally, these shoes are 1/2 smaller and narrower than the original Nike shoes. Try on Nike shoes from a trusted seller to see how they feel
Tips
- Report a store or seller selling fake Nike shoes by emailing Nike. That way, other people won't buy fake Nike shoes in the future.
- Ask a Nike store clerk to help verify the authenticity of a pair of shoes. Unfortunately, Nike is not responsible for shoes sold by third parties or unauthorized sellers, and will not reimburse you for your purchase.
