How can you spot a fake pair of Balenciaga Track?
Cristobal Balenciaga opened his first boutique in 1920 in Saint Sebastian, Spain, and in 1937 the great couturier moved to Paris on rue George V. According to Christian Dior: "Haute couture is a great orchestra that only Balenciaga knows how to conduct, all the other designers that we are simply follow these indications". Balenciaga stands out for the bold cuts of its clothes, inspired by its native Spain. In 2018, through a fashion show, Balenciaga unveiled its new pair of trainers: the Track. Available in four colours, the pair won over many sneaker addicts. Unfortunately, it didn't escape the attention of counterfeiters, who were quick to replicate the model. If you want to buy your pair of Balenciaga Track shoes off the official website, here are a few tips to help you spot a counterfeit.
Find out how to protect yourself in 2 minutes by watching our video on Balenciaga Track counterfeits.
Want to find out more? Read the full article below.
Size registration :
First of all, you need to pay particular attention to the shoe's size marking, which is visible on the toe area. This bold feature of the brand makes this pair totally unique.
The first thing to check is that the number on the front of the shoe matches the actual size. This may seem obvious to some, but it's a good idea to check.
Authentic Balenciaga Track shoes have this number less visible than counterfeits. In fact, on a real pair of the brand's shoes, this number is halfway down the front of the shoe. On a replica, the size number is fully visible.
On the left, a genuine pair of Balenciaga Track, on the right, a counterfeit.
Side embossing :
Secondly, check the embossing on the side of your pair of Balenciagas. On a fake pair of the brand's shoes, the embossing is too visible. In fact, it is too opaque, unlike an authentic pair, which is much less visible.
To be able to see this difference, you need to be in possession of the pair and look at it closely, as this detail is difficult to analyse from a distance.
Laces:
Also look carefully at the laces on your pair of shoes. Fake laces are all turned inside out and look crumpled. Real laces, on the other hand, are smooth.
You should also be able to see different colours of laces. In fact, on an authentic pair of Balenciaga shoes, one part of the laces is not the same colour as the other, almost giving the impression that there are two pairs of laces. Replica factories usually overlook this detail and make the laces completely plain.
Reflective parts :
The first reflective part to check is on the front of the shoe. This part is very interesting to observe because it is difficult to counterfeit. It is also one of the features that makes this pair of shoes unique.
The fake Track pair is much less reflective than a real pair. This lack of reflectivity is completely visible to the naked eye.
On the left, a real pair of Track, on the right, a replica pair.
The same difference can also be seen on the back of the shoe. There's also a reflective part, but this time it doesn't say "Balenciaga" but the name of the shoe, "Track".
Left: real reflective tape, right: reflective tape from replica factories
Want to find out more about luxury brand shoes? Read our articles on Sneaker Day by Hermès, Chain Reaction by Versace and Superstar by Golden Goose.
Inside label :
Also look out for the size label on the inside of the shoe on the tongue. The counterfeit label is much smaller than the real one. The canvas label is not very visible because it has been badly sewn onto the tongue label.
If you can't read the information on the label because it's folded in on itself, you're most likely dealing with a counterfeit.
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