How We Check Every Pair
Every pair that arrives here is picked up and examined before it goes to you. Here is how the legit check works.
The key points
- Every pair that arrives here is checked. Not spot checks, and not just the expensive ones.
- Checks happen at goods receipt, by a team that has been doing this since 2017.
- There is no one-size-fits-all checklist. Each pair is checked by model.
- If there is any doubt, nothing ships.
Why there is no one-size-fits-all checklist
A Jordan 1 is checked differently than a Yeezy Slide. Fakes are never equally good everywhere: what is copied cleanly on one model is the weak spot on the next. On some, a fake gives itself away at the box; on others, at the sole; on collabs, at details that exist only in that one release.
That is why we don't advertise a number of checkpoints. It would say nothing about whether the right ones were included. What counts is comparison with the original, and originals pass through our hands every day.
Who checks
We have been checking since 2017, every day, with pairs in hand rather than on a screen. Photos and guides help with learning. What matters is experience with the original, and that comes from years, not weeks.
When checks happen
Immediately at goods receipt. Every pair, regardless of price and brand. Whether it then goes into storage or out to you the same day makes no difference to the process.
The process
The order is always the same: from the outside in. Which points are decisive depends on the model.
Box and label. Color, cardboard, print. On fakes, the box is often thinner or too smooth. On the label: position, spacing, typography, and whether model, color code and size match. Counterfeiters now often get the shoe right better than the label.
Contents. Stickers in the right place. Tissue paper with the folding and print that belong to the model. Spare laces, if they come with it, in the right length and color.
Shape. Every silhouette has proportions you learn to recognize. Fakes almost always sit slightly off, usually at the heel or in the toe box.
Material and construction. Leather, suede, mesh: each material feels different from its substitute. Then the stitching, outside and inside: even spacing, clean stitches, no loose threads.
Logos, embossing, labels. The sole and insole carry logos and embossing, on Nike for example the stars in the tread. On fakes they are often too faint or slightly shifted. The label inside the shoe must match the model, down to the style number. On collabs, there are also the details that exist only in that release.
Smell and sound. Two things no photo shows. Fakes smell different, usually of glue. And a sole sounds different when you flex it, because the material is not the same.
Blacklight. Finally, the pair goes under a blacklight. It reveals production residues that often show up on fakes.
If something is off
If there is any doubt, nothing ships. A pair that fails the check is not sold by us, whether discounted or with a disclaimer. It goes back to the supplier.
And clothing?
A large part of our clothing comes directly from the authorized retailer. There, the origin is clear from the start.
Everything we buy on the resale market goes through the same check as sneakers, just with different points: fabric and hand feel, stitching and construction, material, packaging, tags and labels, logos, prints and embroidery. Here too: anything that leaves doubt does not ship.
What this means for you
Before a pair leaves us, a person who knows the original has had it in their hands. And if you have questions about a specific pair, you can reach us by email, with a reply usually within 48 hours.