How to Identify Fake New Balance Shoes
New Balance are having a new lease of life thanks to several celebrities that have worn them recently in their casual outfits. Cara Delevigne, Gigi Hadid or Kanye West who have been seen wearing them frequently. As you know, they have a very specific style that is easy identifiable, with the first letter of their brand name stitched to the sneakers.
However, with the rise of the replica, many brands such as Adidas, Nike or Reebok has caught the eye of the black market, which is why you may find fake New Balance shoes online or in certain, non certified stores. If you are wondering how to identify fake New Balance shoes, keep on reading this oneHOWTO article and learn the main signs.
New Balance shoes box
The first thing you should notice if you want to identify fake New Balance shoes is the actual box in which they come in.
First of all, you will notice that it has the New Balance brand logo on both the lid and the side. Make sure the logo is not fake by comparing it to the image below or other images of the brand's logo on their official website. The writing on the box should have no spelling mistakes either.
Moreover, you should also take a closer look to the label on the box. This will give you information about the shoes' color, size, style of shoe and bar code number. Make sure the information given corresponds to the New Balance shoes inside.
The tongue label also has a bar code. This number should be the same as the one featured on the box label.
The latest models have a rectangular hole on the box top, that shows the name of the brand written on the box underneath.
Look at the logos on the outside of the shoe
Now, let's take a closer look at the shoe. There are some highly evident fake shoes around, such as those that have a different letter such as "K" or the "N" is the other way around. You'll also be able to see that the seem of the "N" is not regular, as real New Balance shoes have a different colored seam that is around 1.2 cm wide. Running shoes will have a thinner letter and a much thinner seam too.
However, there are many replicas that are more accurate and may look like real New Balance shoes at first sight. However, you will notice that, at the back of the shoe, the New Balance name logo is not well stitched or centered and may come in a different typo from the legitimate font this sneakers brand uses. The name should also feature the "R" for registered next to the "e", whereas fake ones will have the "R" next to the "W".
The seams should be perfectly sewn together, and none of the fabric should be loose or flopping out of the shoe. The parts of the shoes must be sewn together, never glued.
Shoe tongue
Now, let's take a look at the shoe tongue. All New Balance tongues feature the number of New Balance shoe. If it is a fake New Balance, it will have a number of shoe that do not correspond to the shoe's design. For example, some fake shoes add New Balance 577 when the model is meant to be 574. The real shoe should also have the brand name sewn on it between the logo and the number.
On the inside of the tongue, you'll find another label. As we've said, the number on the bar code needs to match the one on the box. The label should also have a QR code so you can verify the authenticity of your shoe. The size on fake New Balance shoes will not be found on the tongue either, but in the inside of the shoe.
Moreover, fake New Balance shoes normally don't have a metallic shoe hole, which real ones do have. However, some models such as New Balance 373 don't have this feature, so search for your model on the official website to make sure originals have metallic holes.
Sole
On the back side of the shoe, near the sole, you will notice that there is the "NB" logo on it. Fake shoes will also feature an "R" for "registered". Real models will only feature the logo.
On the actual sole of the shoe, you'll see that fake shoes will have the name of the brand on it, whereas real New Balance shoes only have the logo on the heel.
In the insoles, running New Balance shoes will feature the letter Y all over it, whereas casual wear sneakers will have the logo inside.
Older New Balance models like the one on the image (410) will have round circles as a tread and will feature the brand name, with the register logo on the last "e".
If you want to read similar articles to How to Identify Fake New Balance Shoes, we recommend you visit our Fashion & Style category.
- The material used for fakes and replicas is usually more rigid and worse quality than the originals.
- New Balance Fresh Foam models also have the "Fresh foam" logo printed on the sole of the shoe and side.
