How to legit check sneakers ?
Not being drawn in a raffle hurts. We all agree. But do you know what hurts even more? B_uying a pair on the secondary market_ and finally realize that it’s not an authentic pair of sneakers…
For several years, the world of sneakers has become the target of dishonest sellers, selling all sorts of counterfeits. We can say that today the border between the world of sneakers and luxury is getting thinner and thinner, so much so that luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Balanciaga are also launching collections of sneakers in partnership with major actors of the streetwear world.
But you should know that there are effective ways to avoid being tricked. In this article, we will present you several techniques that will allow you to never receive a fake pair at home again.
Here is a small guide to Legit Check your pairs :
The seller
Before you look at anything else, you should first look at the person selling you the pair.
If you are buying from a second hand marketplace like Depop, Vinted or Ebay, make sure the seller has not just signed up and see if he has any positive or negative reviews. Because if the seller gets a lot of insults with 1 star out of 5 on several reviews, there is no need to go further. He is a thief.
If you are still hesitant, don’t hesitate to go to sneaker fan groups or resell pages to ask if anyone has done business with him before. If he has already scammed someone, you can be sure that you will be informed.
legit check sneakers seller information
That’s the first clue that will help you weed out the most mediocre sellers. But it doesn’t stop there, because it is possible that the seller is an expert in selling fake products and has put up false positive reviews to fool the newbies.
It’s also possible that the reseller is in good faith and simply convinced that his pair is genuine. In this case he too has been scammed and has a fake in his hands.
That’s why the verification of the seller is only the first step of a longer way.
The invoice
If the seller appears to be legit, you should now check the invoice. This step is crucial to weed out a lot of scammers. Most will not even make the effort to make a fake invoice, and even those who do are usually not very good at editing.
There are now sites that specialize in the resale of fake invoices, fake receipts and fake authentications. This is why you should carefully analyze the papers that will be sent to you because small details do not deceive.
If, for example, a seller lives in Paris and his receipt comes from Sydney, Australia, you should not think any longer and eliminate it. There are also some small details like the name of the saleswoman that can give you some clues. Since these are templates, many fake retailers don’t bother to change the small details. Recently, some sneakersheads realized that a certain receipt with “Selena” as the seller was doing a lot of rounds, and it turned out to be a fake receipt template that was used by many scammers. A simple search for “fake Selena sneakers” on Google will allow you to find out about it!
This is just one more proof that fake sneaker sellers are not very smart. All you have to do is pay attention to the details.
Don’t forget that most of the most popular pairs are sold via internet raffles. So the retailer must have received an order confirmation email. Ask him to forward you this email, it’s always safer than a screenshot.
As you can see, invoices are a very good way to avoid fake low-end resellers.
But again, it’s not everything :
The Packaging
Any packaging, whether it is a bag, a box, a paper, laces or even the shoe trees, everything is to be analyzed.
Fake sneaker dealers often focus all their attention on the quality of the pair. Since this is often what people analyze.
But you as a sneaker professional, you now know how to flush out the liars with this guide.
Ask for pictures of everything in the box, then compare them with the real ones you find on the internet. Watch unboxing videos on youtube, sneakershead storys on instagram or even ask people on community groups. You’ll see that at this point, 99% of the scammers are completely exposed.
If you are looking for a Discord server to ask for advice about the photos you have received, we recommend you join a Cook Group. You can find our article on what a Cook Group is in detail!
The bag is not the same, the box is a common box, the papers are not present, the box is totally unkempt, whatever. All of these details matter, and you’ll find that many of them will end up making the seller stutter.
The tags and the sneaker
We also advise you to ask for a picture of the tags on the tongue of the shoe or in the bottom of the shoe. Very often, these tags are well replicated but it’s still worth checking if the tags (references of the pair, etc.) correspond to the right model. Also check the layout of the elements: font size, print quality, positioning of the elements, how the tag is sewn, etc.
This is now the final and crucial step : the verification of the pair.
If the seller has passed all these checks, it means that he is a professional in the field and this is very rare.
The dealers of fake pairs know where the flaws are. And usually they send you pictures taken in strange positions to hide these defects.
We advise you to ask for good quality photos / videos, in the light and in precise positions that you have chosen. It’s also possible that the seller puts naturally a white sheet with written his email or his name, it’s a reassuring element and don’t hesitate to ask for it!
You can ask for photos of the pair placed on the box in these precise angles :
- from the front
- of back
- from the right
- from the left
- from above
- of the soles
In 2023, it’s also very common to request a 360 video. There is no longer the excuse of “The video is too heavy and won’t be able to be sent” (You can suggest using Instagram to send the video) > You now have a 360 view of the pair, via detailed photos or a video.
Now you can go to a website to compare. We recommend StockX website because they have a feature that will allow you to turn the pair in 360°.
Don’t hesitate to ask for more pictures of the details such as the inner and outer seams, the gluing, the soles, a picture with flash if the pair is reflective, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask, because the seller depends on you and not the other way around!
There may be slight differences between the dealer’s photos and those on StockX, but you have to be critical. Also remember that these photos are taken in a studio and with professional equipment.
To compare you can also follow Youtube channels like TRU TRU vs FU FU or Klekt.
PRO tip: We advise you to check the authenticity of the images sent by the seller via Reverse Google Images or Google Lens : images.google.com
If you see the image sent by your seller on a blog or a forum, it’s highly possible that the seller does not have the pair and uses a simple photo found.
The applicationsYou also have free applications to check your pairs with detailed guides like Legit Check App.
Also there are applications that offer professional authentication services like LegitMark, Legit App getcheckcheck.com or even stopthefake.fr
Some will even provide you with an authentication certificate, in case you want to resell your pair and convince your buyer of your seriousness.
To summarize, our 5 tips :
- Analyze the seller carefully and check as much as possible if he is reliable
- Look in detail at the invoice to find potential defects
- Compare the retailer’s packaging to the official packaging
- Ask for pictures / videos of the tags and of the pair from all angles and look for the actual defects
- Always do a final check by watching the youtube videos of TRU TRU vs FU FU or Klekt. You can also use professional pair certification applications if you have the means.
Want to know more? We recommend these 2 videos:
- The first one is a video from the Youtuber sneakpeek, it focuses on the details of the pair
- The second one is a video made by the youtuber RealorFakeOfficial, which tests several legit check applications!
Conclusion
To conclude, if you follow all these steps, you will normally be spared from buying fake.
The great philosopher Goethe summarized: “The great secret of our illness lies between haste and carelessness”.
Gab