Everybody probably has a pair of sneakers they love the most. This is particularly true for New Zealanders, who are sneakerheads through and through. Many collectors would die to get limited-edition kicks or to buy the rarest editions approved by their favourite sports players.
Because brands like nike are so popular, many unscrupulous entrepreneurs try to take advantage of its popularity. And since the company started selling shoes online, more knock-offs have found their way to unsuspecting buyers. Unfortunately, there are several New Zealanders who have fallen prey to these fake shoe sellers.
So you don’t get duped, here are some tips on how to prevent buying fake shoes:
Buy from authorised retailers
To prevent yourself from being scammed, never buy from dubious stores, especially online. Instead, you can head to Foot Locker to get your shoe fix or to the official store. Buying from these stores will guarantee that you get a genuine item.
Check the seller
There are special edition shoes that you can sometimes only get from resellers. So whenever you buy from them, you have to do your due diligence and check if they are the real deal. You can do this by reading the feedback and reviews.
You need to be aware also that brands like nike do not allow other sellers to use their domain name. So you have to be wary of online stores with the brand’s name on their websites. It may be selling knock-offs.
Check the price
If the price is too low, it is probably a fake. Whenever you see incredibly low-priced shoes from this brand, it is most likely not authentic. However, it does not mean that the brand does not go on sale and slash the prices of their shoes. The time to be suspicious is when the price of the shoes is lower than 50% of the pair’s original price. Huge markdowns from this brand’s shoes are not common unless there’s a clearance sale.
Whenever you’re buying shoes, check out the model’s price on the official website and compare it with the seller’s price. It should not be too low.
Check the box
Authentic shoes come in boxes that are labelled and tagged correctly. Shoe boxes from this brand usually come in red, orange, and brown. The side of the box also has information printed about the shoes like serial number, size, SKU, style, and barcode.
Check the style
Suppose you are not too familiar with the style of the shoes being sold, head immediately to the official website to find it. Of course, it does not hurt if you do a little research first before you make a purchase.
Check the shoe’s colourway if it exists. Counterfeiters usually copy the style, but their colours are way off.
Check the uppers
One reason why this brand is popular is because of its quality. Make sure that the shoes you buy are made from quality materials and feel good to wear. It should look like it is made from quality craftsmanship.
The counterfeits may sometimes look good, but you will see many flaws if you look at them closely.
Check the tongue
The tongue should have the brand name and shoes displayed. It also should have a tag with printed information like SKU, country of manufacture, and size inside.
Check the weight
Fake shoes feel heavier compared to authentic ones. It is because the materials used are not high-quality.
These are the common things you need to watch out for when buying shoes to prevent getting fake pairs from brands like nike. Also, don’t buy from unofficial retailers.
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