The athletic shoe industry has become a multi-billion dollar industry that has grown exponentially throughout the years. Millions of people around the world spend hundreds and thousands of dollars every year on sneakers. Unfortunately for my wallet, I am one of the millions that spend a ridiculous amount of money on shoes every year. With the colossal amount of money to be made on sneakers today, it was only a matter of time before people started to take advantage. What I am talking about are the numerous knock-offs that are out in the marketplace today.
In the sneaker world, knock-offs are referred to as “factory variants”. Just as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada bags are counterfeited, Air Jordan's and other popular Nike shoes are being made in the same illegal manner. To the untrained eye, many of these knock-offs look just like the originals that they were designed after. Due to the demand that sneakers have in our society today, the market is flooded with a bunch of fake shoes. If a person was to search for a pair of Jordan's on eBay, more than half of the shoes that appear on the search results are counterfeit. The problem with these “fakes” is the fact that they are made illegally, outside of Nike's factories. Also, the materials that these shoes are made of are inferior in quality, compared to authentic shoes. Fake shoes are also less than likely to hold up to the normal wear and tear that real shoes go through.
I would like to consider myself an expert when it comes to spotting real shoes and fake shoes. I have seen enough Air Jordan's and Nike's in my life to know almost automatically if the shoe is authentic or not. I feel bad for people that end up purchasing these “factory variants” thinking that they are getting a real pair of shoes, when in reality they are fake. People who are new to this hobby should try and educate themselves so that they do not spend their hard-earned money on a pair of fake shoes. Shoe message boards like Niketalk is a great place to start gathering information. Nike has made a concerted effort to put a stop to the production of “factory variants”. As a Nike/Jordan Brand loyalist, I hope that they are able to rid the world of counterfeits. My message to everyone is, “Say no to fakes!”