Creative Recreation, a shoe company founded in 2002, has shoes sold in some of the most exclusive stores, and is worn by celebrities. They're valued, and they demand a high price, so they are a target of counterfeiters who sell many of their bogus brand shoes on sites like eBay and counterfeit hotbeds like Canal Street in New York. But if you know details like the stitching of the sole, the attached tags, and the quality of the fabric, you can separate the real deal from the knockoff. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
When Purchasing the Shoe
1. Buy Creative Recreation sneakers from a reputable seller like Barneys or Revolve Clothing.
2. Check the seller's history if you want to buy the less expensive second hand on a site like eBay. Creative Recreation doesn't produce large quantities and don't sell wholesale. A seller with five pairs of the same shoe in the same size is probably not selling an authentic product.
3. Other buyers can also tip you off in their comments on the seller on eBay and their rating. A high rating doesn't necessarily guarantee an authentic shoe, but the seller's history combined with a high score is likely to lead you away from a fake Creative Recreation sneaker.
4. Avoid sellers from China, Malaysia and Thailand, from where many of the high end fakes are coming from. Avoid sellers that won't ship to Italy. Italy has stronger customs laws on fakes than the United States, and many sellers of fake products won't even bother doing business with customers in Italy.
5. Be willing to pay a reasonable price. Creative Recreation sneakers go for $100 or more in stores. If you buy a non-auction pair for $30, you've probably bought a fake.
When Holding/Viewing the Shoe
6. Touch and inspect the leather used. Creative Recreation uses soft tumbled leathers and supple patent leathers. Leather that seems rough to the touch or like vinyl is fake. Patent leathers that are too shiny and that feel more like plastic than leather are sure signs that you're looking at a fake sneaker.
7. Check the stitching on the shoe and on the sole. Creative Recreation sneakers are top of the line. You will not find shoddy, uneven stitching on shoes from this company. You will also never find a glue stain left from fabrication.
8. Compare your shoe to colorways and styles available in stores or on the web. If it doesn't exist in the store or on a reputable online shoe store, the shoe is probably a fake. If the seller has a Creative Recreation shoe that is exclusive to its Barneys New York collection, ask for a receipt from Barneys.
9. Feel the wool for softness on their plaid-fabricated styles. The woolen fabric on the fake Creative Recreation sneakers is rough to the touch.
10. Pay close attention to the hardware and metal used on the shoes. Hooks should be shiny and firmly attached. The metal on the fakes is often scratched and often appears painted.
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