Today I got an e-mail from one of the subscribers to my YouTube channel. It wasn’t the first e-mail I’ve gotten. Over the years one of the main questions online shoppers ask is, “Are these shoes authentic?” I ran one of the biggest online shops on Amazon with perfect feedback at over 600+ feedback and it didn’t matter that I had perfect feedback and that I was on Amazon because people who shop online are often worried about the quality of the product they are buying. Which is why brick & mortar will never really be in danger of dying out. There is nothing like being able to walk into a store that is an authorized dealer to purchase a product. Although, even at an authorized dealer, sales leads will still get the question, “Are these real?” Which always seemed absurd to me until I witnessed the return of a shoe that had clearly been switched out with another shoe. The level of confidence is always typically high at a brick & mortar location because the accountability is built in. The store can’t pack up and leave or not respond.
One of the things I was most proud of in operating my Amazon store was the fact that when I was accepted into the Amazon Marketplace the requirements were stringent. I had to build my website, my personal business website, to match Amazon’s formats and requirements (1000 pixels, clear white backgrounds in all product shots, 4 items per line and I had to remove any monetized areas from the store – ie. ads). Once my site was up to their standards I was then permitted to sell through my account. This took almost 5 months. On Amazon, unlike on eBay at that time close to ten years ago, Amazon required every product to have the company’s UPC code to build a listing. It was great because the original listing derived from the brand. If your UPC didn’t match you couldn’t list. About 4 years ago all of that began to change as Amazon began recruiting eBay sellers and opening their platform up to Chinese sellers. As the influx of new sellers came aboard, the requirements were removed. Amazon allowed new customers to “piggyback” marketplace listings with their “Have One To Sell” feature. Approval for footwear was removed. Almost anyone could be added to Amazon. Online shoppers, especially on Amazon definitely had a reason to be worried:
Insider Ties: Amazon, Counterfeits and the Battle Against Fake Startups (Updated)
In the article above I showed how products were being listed on the site in almost every category, but in footwear the problem became so prominent that it (along with a variety of other problems) eventually drove me to close a store that was doing half a million dollars in sales. This post isn’t about that moment.
This is about one of my YouTube subscribers writing me to ask if his shoe he bought online was legit. I had done the Authentic Verification video for the Triple Black Nike Air Max 270 a few months ago. The Authentic Verification series was created because it helped to put people at ease who were visiting the site to buy shoes. I’ve moved many of my sales to StockX now so my online store is basically an affiliate store. I still do a video for every shoe I sell because it gives me a record and I realized that the videos helped people. Just because the videos are there that doesn’t mean that people don’t ask questions. I still get a lot of comments and e-mails. Usually, I just refer the person to the video and leave it alone. I’m not paid by YouTube to do these videos. You have to earn 1000 subscribers and I’m right at 800. The videos are a courtesy, but they take time to record and edit so it doesn’t make sense for me to spend time doing legit checks and responding to people. Today though… I responded because the person actually sent pictures which gave me the opportunity to share my video with you and to share the pictures the person sent. Below is my Verification video (SUBSCRIBE to arch on YOUTUBE). Beneath that are the pictures from the YouTube subscriber.
- Now, the first thing I want you to look at is the shape of the box in my video. The box is square and has angles. When you look below at the pictures the YouTuber sent the box is rounded and you can see the corrugated lines on the outside of the box.
- In my video you will notice that the UPC for a size 11 is 666003559008. Nike is consistent with their UPCs. It doesn’t matter the size of the shoe, the first 6 digits on every size of this Triple Black model will start with 666003. The rest of the numbers may vary, but the first six will be consistent on each size of this shoe.
- If you look at the 4th picture below on the shoe size tag from the YouTuber you will note the barcode and the UPC under the barcode. The picture the guy sent to me reads: 888412058419 The UPC is a real UPC but it is for a Medium Olive Air Max 270.
- The shoe size tag should match the UPC on the box. The box (the third picture below) reads 666032897324. That number is a real number also, but it is for a Nike Air Max 2017.
As much as I complain about Amazon having fakes now, as the site has added brand registries for each sportswear company, they have become a lot more efficient at eliminating fake shoes. The feature that allows you to search UPCs can help you to see exactly what shoe the UPC code belongs on. The person who sent me these pictures could have easily prevented a bad purchase had they simply asked the seller to send a picture of the box barcode and shoe size tag.
Speaking of the shoe size tag, I didn’t put the size tag in the video but I read the dates of production. This model was produced in 17 not in 18. Sometimes a shoe can have a different date of production, but take a look at the label here in the pictures. The fonts are pushed close together and are a variety of sizes. This is how a shoe size label looks, but it’s not right. As I move through the video I make it a point to show you the shoe at every angle.
- In the pictures below if you pause the video and look at the box label you can see clearly that the label is just plain wrong. I don’t really have to tell you how bad that label is do I?
- When you look at the pictures below, the shape of the shoe is horrible. The insole looks like it was cut and placed into the shoe. In the real shoe the insole is glued down.
There is so much wrong with this shoe below that I felt sorry for the guy who sent the pictures. I often get attacked by people on YouTube who question why I spend so much time on the box and the UPC. I delete those comments. The box will be the primary way that you can tell a shoe is a knock-off or a fake. When a person is selling a shoe without a box, that should be a cue to be careful. If a person won’t send you a picture of the box or a video that should tip you off. While a shoe can look similar the label is a good place to begin because fake manufacturers may have the style of the shoe right, but UPC numbers are owned by the brand and unless a manufacturer is buying every pair to get the UPC more than likely it will never be right.
Here are the pics of the fake shoe below. You can see how the edges of the shoe are frayed and the heel counter is far too narrow. The midsole placement and the hyperfuse overlays are all crammed together on the upper. The craftsmanship is sloppy. If you’ve ever wondered why I do these videos, now you know. As my partner at Housakicks says on his real vs fake videos, don’t get got.