Spotting fake sneakers is essential to avoid bluffing in markets flooded with counterfeit products that deceive in terms of quality, value and authenticity. The need comes as China’s customs department recently seized about 18,000 items of suspected counterfeit goods.
The confiscated products range from footwear to clothing and are valued in the neighborhood ₹88 million ($10 million). In a two-week enforcement operation dubbed “Hot Shoes,” intelligence agencies identified “seven related cases at various local logistics companies” involved in cross-border transshipment of cargo.
“At large events such as sports shoe exhibitions, many collectors and enthusiasts will trade items on the spot, increasing the demand for high-quality counterfeit sports shoes,” Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department official Yeung Tit-fung was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.
Yeung Tit-fung indicated that the seized items were copies of the latest edition products, adding: “Some were for versions that had not yet been released or those that had just been released for a week or two, reflecting that the perpetrators have a good understanding of the trend-chasing mentality of consumers.”
Is it a crime to trade counterfeit products in China?
Importing, exporting, selling or possessing any goods bearing a counterfeit trademark is a criminal offense in China and the maximum penalty upon conviction is five years imprisonment in addition to a fine ₹4.4 million ($500,000). “Any person who imports or exports or sells or holds for sale any goods to which a counterfeit trade mark is applied commits an offence,” the October 23 press release said.
How to recognize counterfeit sneakers?
Below are key tips provided by Hustle Culture on how to spot fake sneakers and identify the authentic ones:
