There is no more popular sneaker on the market right now than the adidas Yeezy 350 Boost. Kanye West’s design was officially released in late June 2021, sold out immediately and is being resold for no less than 5 times its retail price.

Before Kanye struck a deal with Adidas, sneakerheads didn’t have to worry much about counterfeit products from the 3-Stripe brand. But that all changed with Yeezys, as the Yeezy 350 is one of the most counterfeit Adidas shoes to date.

Below is a step-by-step guide to help you see the differences between fake and real Yeezys.

1. Heel tab

You can see with the fake Yeezy the heel tab is placed much further from the ankle collar.

2. Teenstiksels

The black stitching pattern running up the middle of the midsole on the fake Yeezys is just a disaster. On the real Yeezy shoes, you can see that there is a distinct pattern that looks like an “X”and then a square –which repeats all the time.

3. Inlegzolen

The inscription on the insole of the fake Yeezy is white, which is incorrect. This is supposed to be black, as you can see on the original Yeezy sole. Also, the text on the fake Yeezy shoes runs in the opposite direction.

4. Underside of insoles

The bottom of the insoles is completely different on the fake Yeezy.

5. YZY

The “YZY”is too massive on the fake Yeezy. The font is hugely enlarged. Easy to spot.

The adidas logo is supersized on the fake Yeezy.

7. Size label

The fake Yeezy says “sample”which does not belong there, as you can be with the original Yeezy size label.

8. Footbed

If you remove the insoles, this is what you see. Note that the real Yeezy’s has a black strip down the middle, while the fake Yeezy has exposed stitching.

9. Box

The fake Yeezy box has the wrong color (black) and also a round hole which should not be there.

Yeezy V2 legitieme check

For a quick Yeezy v2 legit check, be sure to check out these tips:

1. Check the bar code. If it is fake, you will see a blurry bar code with no white area.

2. Look for the dimensions and the text V02, V03 or V10. If those are not there, it is not authentic.

3. Examine the boxes.

How to tell if Yeezys are fake just by looking at a photo

You can tell if a pair of Yeezys are fake just by looking at a picture, because you can see that the pattern on the side is off. On the store pair, there is a dot pattern that looks like an “X”and then a square –and it repeats.

But on the fake shoe, there is no pattern at all. It is only one color. The inscription on the insole of the unauthorized one is white, which is also incorrect.

Conclusie

The safest way to avoid a counterfeit Yeezy is to buy from authorized sellers, such as those listed on the product page. When buying online, make sure your seller is reputable. If they are not an authorized seller, make sure they have an invoice and warranty of authenticity.

I hope you find this article helpful in recognizing the elements that distinguish a fake Yeezy from a real one. It has become a lot harder now that replica manufacturers are paying more and more attention to details.

If you have your own ways to tell if Yeezys are fake, you can also leave a comment, or your thoughts and questions. Share this with your fellow sneakerheads as well.