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Fake sneakers have been around for years, but in recent times, they've become an even bigger problem. When they initially hit the scene, there were a lot of ways to tell what was real from what was fake, with details as simple as the shape and colorway being the most obvious inconsistencies. But now, there are factories out there making pairs that fool even some of the most knowledgeable sneakerheads. Just like celebrities, everyday people have a hard time telling what's real from what's fake. One method for determining authenticity used to be price. Sure, someone may pay $50 or $75 for a bootleg pair, but once we start talking four figures, surely those are all authentic, right? Not anymore. Below are some unfortunate recent examples of people not only buying fakes, but paying big bucks for them.
Nike Air Foamposite One 'Paranorman'
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Price: $7,399
This pair is an easy one to spot; just look at the shape. The seller even states they cannot guarantee they're authentic.
Nike Air Yeezy 2
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Price: $3,500
Only three colorways of the Yeezy 2 released, and this wasn't one of them.
Nike Air Yeezy 2 'Red October'
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Price: $3,050
The Red Octobers are one of the most faked sneakers out there. Unfortunately for this buyer, they couldn't tell the difference.
Nike Mag
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Price: $2,500
With 'costume' pairs of the Mag available, and even Nike conversion kits, there's really no reason to buy a fake pair of Mags for $2,500.
Air Jordan 5 'Oregon'
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Price: $2,125
After Nike and Jordan Brand cut back on giving exclusives to Oregon players, their Air Jordan 5 Retro PE flooded the market. Due to a close resemblance to the originals, this is one of the harder pairs to determine, which means buyers are taking an even bigger risk than normal when copping on the resale market.
Nike Mag
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Price: $2,025
Unfortunately, it's not a surprise to see the Mags on this list multiple times. As much as fans would like it, real pairs simply cannot be had in the ballpark of $2k.
Nike Yeezy 2 'Solar'
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Price: $2,025
At least this fake pair of Yeezy 2s were done in a colorway that actually came out.
Air Jordan 8 'Q-Rich'
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Price: $1,500
Only 24 pairs of the HOH exclusive 'Q-Rich' Air Jordan 8 Retro were released in 2008. Other than the pairs in his unreleased PE size, no other pairs should be out there - especially one with the wrong shape, stitching and font, among other things.
Air Jordan 5 'Doernbecher'
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Price: $1,500
Not many pairs of the 'Doernbecher' Air Jordan 5 Retro were released. And those that did do not exactly look like this.
Air Jordan 4 'Oregon'
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Price: $1,300
The shape on these is so atrocious that you don't need to investigate any further.