Tips for spotting fake Balenciaga Triple S trainers
Revered by industry insiders, Balenciaga's Triple S trainers perfectly capture the streetwear look of the moment. The name refers to the pair's three soles, which have been moulded together for a thick lift. The toe of the sneaker is embroidered with the shoe size, while the side is branded with the house name. Very popular on the sneaker market, Balenciaga Triple S sell out quickly online and are in high demand. Unfortunately, this trend is leading to a large number of counterfeits. To help you spot Balanciaga Triple S replicas easily, we're going to share a few tips with you so that you can check the authenticity of the Balenciaga you want to buy. First of all, you should know that the price of a pair of "Balenciaga Triple S" is around €775.
1. The Triple S logo
Let's start with the Balenciaga 'Triple S' logo located on the tongue of the sneaker. As you can see from the photos below, the logo has a three-dimensional appearance, rising slightly above the tongue rather than being printed or embroidered flat on it. For this reason, the logo can become damaged over time, as can be seen in the image on the right. However, this is nothing to worry about and does not prove that the item is fake. What does, however, is the texture of the letters. On an authentic Balenciaga Triple S, the letters and the surface to which they are glued look like thick, high-quality rubber. The letters are attached to a matt surface, not a glossy one as on the replica below.
Another point to note is that the tongue should be elastic and fairly firm. Counterfeits are often empty and made from a simple, cheaper fabric. Fake Triple S shoes therefore bend more easily and don't retain their shape as well as the original ones. Finally, the tongue has a different shape. The top of the tongue should have a curve, whereas in the fake Balenciaga trainers, the tongue is just straight, not curved.
On the left a fake Triple S, on the right a real Triple S
2. The Balenciaga logo
We'll take a look at the Balenciaga logo in comparison images of the Triple S trainer. The main flaw in the text is that the fake pairs are usually accompanied by the character "B" which is thicker than it needs to be. In addition to this letter, you can even see the rest of the other letters in the logo, which are often thicker too. For this reason, the text "BALENCIAGA" is one of the most reliable places to spot a counterfeit "Triple S".
Usually, the embroidery is faulty because of connected letters and generally sloppy craftsmanship. So the fake Triple S has its logo letters looking unfinished, while the genuine pair has its text perfectly done.
On the left a fake Triple S, on the right a real Triple S
3. The size label
Next comes the size label. The most obvious advice here would be to Google the product code, but this doesn't immediately prove authenticity, as product codes can easily be reproduced. Before we start, we'd like to give you a word of warning. Don't be fooled by the text "Made in China" as this does not mean that the product is a fake. It's true that Balenciaga used to produce its trainers in Italy, but a few years ago they announced that they were moving production to China. We can only hope that quality didn't suffer as a result!
The main things to look out for here are the seams and the fonts. The seams should be clean, with each separate seam the same size and shape as all the others. The fake pair here has smaller and much messier seams, which is not a good sign. As for the font, the fake Triple S has slightly larger letters and more blurred shapes. This means that the letters are not as clear. The genuine font is clearer, but also smaller.
On the left a fake Triple S, on the right a real Triple S
4. The size number on the front
A very unusual detail of the Balenciaga Triple S trainers is that the size number is located on the front of the trainer in the toe area, rather than on the inside of the shoe. The inscribed size text from the toe area generally has a finer font on the fake Triple S pairs. Also make sure it is relatively centred as a genuine Balenciaga Triple S will never touch any of the top or bottom lines of the leather panel.
In addition, the size number must have a distance between the two digits. As you can see, the counterfeit doesn't, and the two numbers are virtually fused together. It's also worth noting for those unfamiliar with this model that the numbers must be embroidered and not printed.
On the left a fake Triple S, on the right a real Triple S
5. Heel loop
For this method, you need to closely inspect the heel loop at the back of the shoe. Firstly, you need to pull the heel loop to check the spot underneath. Indeed, the first obvious difference you'll notice is that this stitch is much larger and more visible on the Balenciaga Triple S replica. The real product has this dot well hidden and almost not visible at all. The other difference is that, on the genuine one, the back buckle is positioned much higher.
The heel buckle isn't the only detail to highlight here. You should also focus your attention on other details of the heel, such as the mesh tongue at the bottom. The knock-off is clearly much smaller and has threads sticking out of it, creating a cheap and messy look. Finally, note the tongue to which the buckle is attached. In the genuine pair, this tab is matt, while the fake is shiny.
On the left a fake Triple S, on the right a real Triple S
6. Laces
When it comes to the laces, it may not seem like there's much difference between a fake and a real Triple S. However, the main difference lies in the way the laces are constructed. Genuine laces are of much higher quality, so they need to be firm, thick and durable. Replica laces, on the other hand, are softer, stretchier and less durable. One way to check this is to take a lace and try to separate it. If it separates easily and stretches into individual strands, it's definitely a cheap fake shoelace.
Another difference is the pattern on the lace. On the real thing, the white marks are smaller. As you might guess, this is also due to the fact that the lace is constructed differently. Genuine lace is dense, made up of many tiny threads tightly packed together, whereas fake lace is made up of larger threads with less density.
On the left a fake Triple S, on the right a real Triple S
Secure the purchase of your second-hand Balenciaga Triple S with Obvy
Once you've checked every detail above to see whether your Balenciaga Triple S is real or fake, move on to the next stage, which involves securing the purchase of your second-hand sneakers. By using a secure payment method like Obvy, you can easily avoid scams between private individuals.
With Obvy, you can benefit from a number of advantages, such as payment in instalments and traceability of the transaction, to ensure optimum security until you receive Balanciaga and can attest to their authenticity.