First off, lemme just say, it’s kinda sad how the NMD hype died, right? Remember when they were practically impossible to get? Now you can find ’em on sale at Foot Locker for like, what, 90 bucks? Crazy. But hey, that just means more opportunity for shady peeps to sell fakes.
Okay, so where do you even *start*? Well, the biggest giveaway used to be the Boost. You know, that squishy white sole? The real Boost has, like, a specific texture. It’s almost got these tiny little dimples, and it’s super comfortable. Fake Boost? Feels kinda plasticy, stiff, and the dimples? They’re either too big, too smooth, or just plain wrong. Sometimes they even try to paint it to look like real Boost, which is just… sad.
But here’s the thing, those fakes are catching up. Some of the fake Boost is getting *scarily* close to the real deal. So you gotta look deeper.
Check the overall shape, y’know? NMDs have a pretty distinct silhouette. Fakes often look kinda… off. Maybe the toe box is too pointy, or the ankle collar is too high. It’s hard to describe, but you kinda gotta have seen a real pair to know what I’m talking about. (Good luck with that if you’ve never seen a real one, lol)
Then there’s the details. Like, the stitching. On a real pair, the stitching is clean and even. On a fake? You might see loose threads, uneven lines, and just generally sloppy work. The glue is often visible too, which is a major red flag.
And don’t forget the “lego blocks,” those little colored pieces on the midsole. The texture, the color, even the way they’re attached can be a dead giveaway. Some fakes have blocks that are super shiny or the wrong shade of red or blue.
Honestly, the best thing you can do is compare it to a picture of a *real* pair of that specific NMD model. Like, the “Black Glitch Camo” one mentioned above? Google that thing and look at all the details. And if the price is too good to be true? It probably is. I’m not saying you can’t find a bargain, but if someone’s selling “limited edition” NMDs for 50 bucks, run. Just run.
Oh, and another thing! Check the box! The label on the box should match the shoes *exactly*. Size, color, style code – everything. Mismatched labels are a HUGE sign something’s up. I swear, you’d think they could at least get that right!
