Before we begin, you may have realized we have a few legit check write-ups on our website. The whole reason behind why we are taking the time to spread the knowledge is to ensure that our readers do not get scammed especially after dropping a few thousand ringgit for a pair of shoes. Today, we will be sharing our thoughts about fake sneakers and how it affects the entire sneaker scene.
If you have not realized, there are different types of grades of replicas out there such as Grade AAA, 1:1, Perfect, and the most feared one of them all, the Godkiller fakes. The people who sell fakes in Malaysia usually use the term ‘Original Copy’, ‘Original Reject’ and more, using the word ‘Original’ to steer away consumers from the thought that their products are fake. You would usually see these listings on Mudah, Carousell, Instagram, and even some Facebook pages with low prices ranging from RM60 to RM500 and above (usually below 700) with a full size run such as ‘Euro 35 – 46’.
We came across a few pages promoting their ‘before’ prices at RM1,299 and then stating the ‘after’ price for RM180 (example in the photo below) which usually throws off real sneakerheads but to a commoner, it probably is the best deal out there for them especially when they can save almost RM1,000 but, is it really a deal? If you are involved in the sneaker scene with a good eye for observation, you would know that there are no authentic Yeezys or anything hype selling for below retail especially when the retail price is already at RM900 and above, with a resell price north of RM2000. However, it’s a different case if it’s priced low at official factory outlets because the stocks at factory outlets are slow-moving stocks from official distributors meant to be cleared off.
You might have the urge to ask, why is it such a big deal that someone is buying fakes? It really isn’t a big deal but with ignorant newcomers who try to ride on the trend and are not willing to spend, they end up buying fakes, ‘flex’ as if its the real thing and the worst part of all? They actually try to resell them. When these people start to think they can resell sneakers like everyone else, these fakes start to flood the secondary market and to make things worse, these newcomers sell the fakes at authentic pair prices eventually leading to genuine buyers getting scammed.
Based on the point of someone trying to ride the trend and buying fakes stated earlier, another concern involving ‘influencers’ in Malaysia (at least) comes into the picture. We all scroll through Instagram on a daily basis and with enough time spent, you would come across and realize that at every corner there is a college/university student or even a ‘FOMO’ (Fear Of Missing Out) adult trying to be an influencer with their hype apparel or sneakers. This is all well and doesn’t change much, however, there have been multiple incidents where wannabe ‘influencers’ promote Instagram stores who sell fake sneakers just because they were sponsored a pair. Their followers then blindly believe that the shop is selling original sneakers just because their favorite ‘influencer’ have misled them with false advertising (as photo below). This would result into more fakes circulating the sneaker market in Malaysia and further ruin it. Time to question some of your favorite influencers?
Lastly, it destroys the significance of sneaker collecting. Sneakerheads who collect sneakers search low and high to find their grails or favorite sneakers whether its RM200 or four figures and above, but the trouble of locating these rare or expensive authentic pairs is the true essence of sneaker collecting. If someone calls themselves a sneakerhead but collect fake sneakers, it negates the practice entirely. As an example, you collect money notes, but your collection is self-printed and are not real, so would you still consider it a collection?
We strongly do not condone fakes, but we would advise everyone to spend according to their means. If you are wearing a fake, it’s fine but don’t go around flexing like they are real or even worse, resell them. It doesn’t take much time to learn how to legit check a pair of shoes as knowledge is only at the tips of your fingers. Congratulations for reading all the way to the end, here are some proof of ‘influencers’ who are trying to promote fakes as original as your reward.
