History of the Yeezy
When it comes to high-value sneakers, Yeezys are fairly new to the scene. The first of the iconic Ye and Adidas shoes were released in 2013 — and were an instant success. All 9000 of the Yeezy Boost 750’s sold out within 10 minutes, and paved the way for future releases. Later, in 2015, Kanye premiered another few waves of Yeezys, including the 950s alongside his clothing line “Yeezy Season 1”. While the clothes that Kanye tried to market didn’t sell, his sneakers were beginning to truly be admired by sneakerheads for their quality and sleek look.
Ye is still consistently producing new sneakers, with new kicks popping up every half-year or so.
The Listing is Sketchy
Before even looking at the shoe itself, look at that listing. If the price is a lot lower than average, that’s a red flag. Lots of grammatical errors and misspellings? Another red flag. Unhelpful or confusing product descriptions? Red. Flag.
Photos can be a good indicator to see if a listing is legit. Low quality pics, photos obviously ripped from an official website, or not enough pictures can all be indicators of a shady deal.
Check the Size Tag
When you have the shoe in hand, your first thought might be to check around the sole or stitching. These are both good ways to authenticate — but start with the size tag. There are a few obvious ways that a fake Yeezy’s tag will differ from the real deal.
Fakes have Thick Text
Real Yeezys are made with care. The size tag print is clear, and on the thin side. Knock-offs, with their much lower quality, use cheaper printing methods. Thick, often blotchy text is the result.
Improper Spacing Reveals Replicas
The cheaper printing method has another effect on fake Yeezys: Their character spacing is off. Real shoes have tight, even spacing between letters. Fakes often have unnaturally large spaces in between letters.
On the other hand, smaller print on the tag is often smushed together. The Adidas logo on the tag should have a space between the “s” at the end, and the “®” above it. If the two seem to be connected, you have a forgery on your hands.
Stitching is Inconsistent
On authentic Yeezys, the stitching is distinct. The middle stitch goes straight down the center, and is of obvious quality. Fakes will have thinner and flimsier stitching. On the side of a real shoe, the stitched logo will always be aligned properly. Knock-offs are often crooked or held on with cheap materials.
Boost Soles are Low Quality
If you’re snagging a pair of Boost Yeezys, the trademark sole is a sure indicator of quality. Real Boost soles will have distinct, defined indents. The sole insert itself will feel sturdy, and shouldn’t age much over time.
The Box and Label are Phony
Lastly, we come to the packaging.
Authentic Yeezys come in darker, tougher cardboard packaging than counterfeits. The logo is distinct, and the label has a number of differences.
Firstly, if you have a label checking up, use it immediately. You can scan a database that contains info on every Yeezy made, and compare yours with the results. If the color or make are different, or you don’t get a result, that shoe is a fake.
If you’re looking to
snag a pair of Yeezys yourself, look no further! Buyma only works with quality resellers, bringing you only new, authenticated designer goods. We hold our sellers to the highest standard, constantly monitoring our site for phony sellers.
We also work with third-party authenticators to ensure your product is real. We have a full refund policy for items that don’t fit our standards, so your designer purchase is always a safe investment.