The Replica Reality: Are Fake Sneakers Worth It?
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“You date a guy who wears fake sneakers, and you expect him to be real with you. How can he be real with you when he can't be real with himself?”
After this was tweeted in 2015 by a Twitter user, it brought up a controversial debate that continues to be a hot topic within the sneaker community: Are fake sneakers really worth buying over authentic models? If you were to ask this question to a sneakerhead back in the mid-2010s, they would probably react defensive right off the bat and passionately argue why you shouldn’t buy fakes due to their quality.
Another idea that was pushed around was that people who purchase fake sneakers are only faking themselves. Due to the high use of social media, posting authenticity and being “real” is so important in this type of space. However, people take it too far by sending hate through negative comments on other people’s page just by wearing sneakers that to their naked eye, looks fake. An article from HighSnobiety said, “Buying something counterfeit does not correlate to the value of a person, how much disposable income they have, or how much they're willing to spend on an item of clothing.” So yes, back then you may have gotten roasted for showing up to school wearing fake Jordan 1s, but now, it’s a different story.
Now, many people, including die-hard sneakerheads, openly wear replica sneakers. They are choosing to go against capitalist ways by buying fake, but still high-quality, shoes. HighSnobiety mentioned in their article that, “according to an exhaustive New York Times investigation from several years ago, counterfeits are usually produced by de-assembling an original pair and reverse engineering them,” showing how hard it is to distinguish between fake and real sneakers nowadays.
To make your own judgment, here are some pros and cons of buying replicas versus the real deal.
Pros:
The Cost:
Replica sneakers have a much lower price tag compared to their original counterparts, which makes them more attractive to buyers who can’t afford the original price tag. It helps customers stay on budget and avoid getting warped into consumer capitalism.
Accessibility:
On top of affordability, fake shoes are available in various online marketplaces and platforms that make it easy to purchase.
Up-to-date Styles:
The industry constantly keeps up with the current trends, allowing people to stay in style without breaking their wallets or having to wait for them to restock.
“From a distance, no one will see”:
Buying replicas also requires you to look closely at the details. You’ll be able to wear replica sneakers under sneakerheads’ noses if you buy a shoe that is very similar to the original product and does not have many recognizable modifications to its design.
Cons:
Quality:
Depending on where you buy your replicas and the material they came in, some are made in cheaper material and lead to poor durability, not allowing the shoe to last for a long time.
Authenticity:
Similarly to the quality, wearing fake sneakers still holds a bad reputation to some. A sneaker that lacks branding diminishes its authenticity and makes it identifiable to some as knock-offs.
Legal Issues:
Purchasing and wearing counterfeit goods can involve some legal issues, as selling fakes is illegal in many regions and is unauthorized by official companies.
Damage to brand:
Buying fakes contributes to counterfeit culture, undermining the efforts of legitimate brands and their designers. Marketers play a huge role in counterfeit culture as they trigger many consumers minds, shaping them to think that they need to give in and spend their hard earned money, like the rest of society does. On the other side of this, those who can’t easily afford designer sneakers, also have this mentality, so counterfeit markets feed their desires instead, hence the mass production of fake sneakers.
If you ever consider whether you should give into buying replica sneakers, it is important to put thought into your decisions. A crucial step is to do your research first, and find where the best top-rated sellers are, and who can be reliable sources to buy from. This relieves you of having to worry about their quality when you wear them out. Like many things, buying sneakers is a commitment that you are making to yourself. A lot of people, including yourself, work hard and have the desire to spend your hard-earnings however you like. So remember to be intentional with your purchases, and ask yourself: Is this product, fake or not, something that I will be able to use for a long time and truly enjoy?