With the Example of 14 Popular Brands, We Found Out How to Tell an Authentic Product From a Fake

Many famous brands are often counterfeited. It doesn’t only do financial and reputational damage to the companies, but also harms the customers. Low-quality items, made from cheap materials, wear down very quickly and may even have a negative impact on people’s health.

We at CHEERY decided to choose the famous brand, whose products are often counterfeited. And we found out what small details you should look at when buying such products.

Levi’s jeans

Levi’s back pockets have the arcuate stitching design forming a diamond. So, if the arc is not correct, there’s no diamond at the bottom, or it looks different, the jeans are probably fake.

Original jeans also have a red, yellow, green, or white Levi’s label with the “R”. If jeans were made after 1971, the “e” in the logo should be lower case, not capital.

The rivets should have “L.S. & CO. S.F.” stamped on them. It stands for “Levi Strauss & Co., San Francisco.” If these letters are completely missing or only partially there, the jeans are fake.

Ralph Lauren clothes

To tell a fake from a real piece, pay attention to the label under the collar. In the old version of the company, the name is made in gray or silver threads, and in new version — with yellow.

Another prominent thing to look out for is the horse rider logo. The rider is identifiable from the horse, and the horses reins, tail and ears are all visible. On the back, the logo should be neatly stitched and finished. There should not be any ink or excessive loose ends.

Tissot watch

The crown or winding handle on original watches has the capital “Т” engraved. If it’s just glued on the top or drawn with paint, the watch is fake.

Converse shoes

Original Converse shoes have a tongue with all the details about the model, including the serial number, the material, and the size. The last column is always given in centimeters. If it says mm, you can instantly tell they are fake.

Fake Converse shoes often don’t have the small star you can find in the center of the sole. On top of that, original shoes have the waffle-like diamonds with vertical and horizontal lines.

The North Face jackets

The manufacturers of fakes often neglect the small details, so it’s better to check the zips. The North Face use the YKK zips exclusively.

Original jackets have the YKK logo both on the zipper and the mechanism. The zipper should move smoothly, even on new products.

Crocs sabot

Authentic sandals always have the company logo — the crocodile Duke, names after one of the founders of the company. The original crocodile has exactly 6 humps on the back and 3 toes. If one of these details is different, it’s a fake product.

New Era caps

Authentic caps always have special ribbons on the other side. There, you can find 2 logos. There’s always the New Era trademark and the logo of the specific model.

Ray-Ban sunglasses

To tell fake Ray-Ban glasses from original ones, you can take a look at the nose pads. There should be the “RB” sign printed. Besides, the nose pads are usually transparent or a light peach color.

The hinges are bolted to the frame of the glasses with two metal rivets on the front and two at the side.

Ugg shoes

There are several indicators of fake products. In original Uggs, the left shoe has a special sticker with the company logo and a picture of the sun. If you rotate the shoe to a 90° angle, you should see the sun logos changing from dark silver to a light silver coloration.

The soles should have the company name and a big “R” in a circle for trademark. It may be quite small but if it’s not there at all, the shoes are fake.

Хbox controllers

In order to tell an authentic Xbox controller from a fake one, take a look at the wire. Original controllers have a special bump at the top of the wire. And fakes don’t have it.

Birkenstock sandals

Authentic Birkenstock sandals can be recognized by their insoles. This is where all the information about the product is placed. They use black, green, blue, and gold (depending on the model). The information includes the company logo, the phrase “Made in Germany”, and a picture of a foot, and the size in 3 different measurements.

Kånken backpacks and bags

Lately, it has become really hard to tell fake Kånken products from real ones. But the company recommends paying attention to small details. They use only double stitches. All their products have the iconic YKK zips and the tongue has the Fjällräven logo on one side and the Fox logo on the other.

Adidas shoes

There are several ways to tell real Adidas from fake. Check the lace holes. Original Adidas shoes rarely have metal rings there. So, check the original site to see what the model is supposed to look like.

Lego toys

To tell a fake Lego from an original one, take a careful look at the toy. Real toys have rounder and smoother lines. Every element has a company logo on it.

On the head, it’s at the top. On the body, it’s at the neck, and you can even find one on the legs. The logo is above the rest of the surface, and it’s not just drawn, so it’s hard to remove it.

Do you have your own methods of telling fakes from originals?