eBay

FACT - eBay is flooded with inferior counterfeit goods, it is a big problem and showing no signs of stopping.

While it is always good to be on the look for rare sneakers, it is better to bide your time and build up a realistic budget - that bargain that sounds too good to be true, often is.

Anyone who knows anything about shoes, style or fashion will tell

When purchasing brand name goods it is best to stick to reputable stores and websites who you can trust, but this guide will help you dodge

The are lists of known fake sellers on Superstardb.com and Spotfakeadidas.com - it is highly advised to check any potential purchases against these lists. But be aware they are far from complete - new sellers are starting daily so keep on your toes.

So don't get stuck with a pair of stinking fakes, check this guide!

 

You need to be vigilant when buying any shoes but generally fake sellers will focus on rare, popular releases. For example Adidas Superstar 35th Anniversary, Adidas Adicolor, Nike SB Dunks, Nike Air Jordans etc.

 

 

  • You cannot simply ask a seller "Is this item authentic?" - if they are dishonest enough to deal in fakes they will happily lie and say they are authentic. The only way to be sure is to know how to spot fakes yourself.

Analyse the seller

1. Feedback - always check through a sellers feedback. Any mention of fakes (however old) then leave them alone.

Be aware - plenty of fake sellers have 100% feedback, there are even powersellers who have built their reputation on dishonesty.

Previous Sales

 

Other items

 

If you are 100% confident the seller is reputable then go ahead and make you purchase, if you still have doubts then you'll need to take a closer look at the item in question.

Photos - to be sure of what you are getting you'll need to see actual photos of the item. To be sure that these are the sellers photos they will need to include their eBay ID/tag within the photo itself. Many fake sellers use stock photos taken from PickYourShoes or similar websites, or simply steal other ebayers images. If the seller has nothing to hide then they should happily supply more (tagged) photos on request, if they dont then it's a risky purchase.

PYS stock photos (eg not taken by the seller)



Actual Tagged photos




3. Common sense - if something looks too good to be true, it normally is. FACT - most of the 35th Anniversary Adidas Superstars on eBay are fake. Maybe a percentage of 90% fakes is not an exaggeration these days. It will continue this way if people continue to buy these shoddy replicas. Genuine 35th Anniversary shoes are highly sought after and worth a lot of money - eg £400-500 for the consortium series, if you see them for £40 buy-it-now then you would be mad to think they are genuine.

I sell Adidas shoes professionally and can tell you it is pretty much impossible to pick up a size run / batch of any 35th Anniversary Superstars now. So if you see people selling multiple pairs/sizes of Ian Browns, Lee Quinones, Disney etc Superstars then it would be highly unlikely that they are genuine.

Common sense also applies to seller location / name - do not be surprised if you purchase a pair of shoes from an eBay seller based in China or someone with a name such as 'Discount Imports' and it turns out to be fake.

Of course to be sure of buying genuine shoes you should check out my wares - mr-shoe-shotta - plus sites like spotfakeadidas.com and superstardb.com are great resources.

Keep it real!