How To Spot FAKE Yeezy Boost 350 V1 in 2023 (All Colorways)

Context

There have been only 4 releases of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1s by Kanye West: Turtle Dove, Pirate Black, Oxford Tan, and Moonrock. Any other variations/samples are fake.

We will also note that due to the sneakers being not as hyped as the V2s, counterfeit manufacturers do not prioritize these pairs. Hence, even top-tier counterfeits are easier to spot compared to the V2s. We will be going over multiple examples for your satisfaction, convenience, and comprehension.

Scan Barcode

The initial step is to take a look at the barcode present at the box label at the bottom right.

NOTE: Keep in mind that if the box passes this test, it does not imply your Yeezy Boost 350 V1 is authentic, since some counterfeits do get this correct. Also remember that the box can also be swapped out with a real box and a fake sneaker inside.

However, let's continue with the barcode test...

Simply search the barcode number on Google searches. So in this case, you would search "4056558498604" for the legit Yeezy box, and "4056558498741" for the fake Yeezy box as shown in the image below.

Afterwards, look for matches confirming your Yeezy Boost 350 V2s are authentic. If there are many results on Google, then that's a good sign leading to authenticity. Your goal is to find an exact match of your box.

Confirm that the results displayed are in sync with product colorway and size, as well as bearing the same barcode found on the your Yeezy Boost 350 V1 box label. If they match, then the box is may be authentic. Remember that this means the box may be authentic, however your Yeezy Boost 350 V1 sneaker may still be fake. We'll still have to check the box label consistency before confirming it's definitely authentic.

If the results are not in sync with the colorway, size and product ID, then it is also most likely fake. If no results show up then the sneaker is most likely fake. If the results are nothing related to the sneaker then it is also most likely fake. Some fake boxes get the barcode correct, so we need to look for more indicators of authenticity...

Box Label

Next step of the legit check guide, we are going to be doing a deep dive to spot the differences between an authentic and fake Yeezy Boost 350 V1 box labels. When legit checking a box label, your job is to be on the lookout for inconsistencies (font thickness, spacing, mismatches, etc).

We will begin by discussing the 2 variations of the most common box labels. The most common box labels for Yeezy Boost 350 V1s are the US and the Canada/EU labels. You can differentiate them by the number of sizes displayed.

US Box Label (US, F, UK)

The image below displays the US box label for the Yeezy Boost 350 V2s. You can tell by the 3 sizes present: US, F, and UK. Denoted by the yellow box at the bottom right. The code NEEDS to end in V02 and V03 for US released sneakers.

Denoted by the red box. Take a look at the text "ORIGINALS" on the authentic Boost 350 V1 box label and the fake label. You can see the very slight difference in the letter spacing for the font. On the legit label, the letters are extremely close to each other where they almost come in contact. Whereas, on the fake, you can see the letter spacing is much wider and makes the word look lengthier than it is.

Denoted by the blue box. Here we can see a similar flaw but the reverse happening. On the authentic Yeezy Boost 350 V1 box labels, the letter spacing is mildly close. However on the fake label - as seen above - the letter spacing is way too close together where the letters are coming into contact. You can see this being more prominent in the word "FABRIQUE" on the replica, where the letter "Q" and "U" are touching each other.

Denoted by the red circle. Here is another very slight difference, that is hard to spot unless you have a good eye. Denoted by the orange line, is the distance between "UK" and the box line. On the authentic Boost 350 V1, the left margin is much less than the upper margin. However, on the fake, you can see that the left and upper margin are equally distanced.

Canada/EU Box Label (US, UK, F, D, J, CHN)

The image above displays the Canada/EU box Label for the Yeezy Boost 350 V1s. You can tell by the 6 sizes present: US, UK, F, D, J, and CHN. Denoted by the green box at the bottom right. The code NEEDS to end in V10 for EU released sneakers.

Denoted by the blue box. The flaw here is the spacing between the letters of "AQ4832". On the authentic box label, the spacing is much less than on the fakes. You can see this being most prominent on the fake within the spacing between the numbers "832".

Denoted by the yellow box. A similar issue arises with the spacing difference between the letters. On the fake Yeezy Boost 350 V1 box label, the spacing is far too wide compared to the retail box label.

Denoted by the red box. The barcode flaw on the replica here is the easiest to spot and quite an eye sore. The font size on the fake box label is drastically too big compared to the retail barcode.

Denoted by the orange box. On the fake label, you can see the spacing being drastically too wide compared to the retail. Not only is the spacing too wide, the spacing between each letter is inconsistent and random.

To Summarize

Authentic Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Box Labels will have: 1. US Box Label: 3 sizes (US, F, UK), 2 versions (V02, V03) 2. Canada/EU Label: 6 sizes (US, F, UK, D, J, CHN), 1 version (V10)

If your box comes in ANY other deviation than from this, then it is a fake box. Counterfeit and fake manufacturers will sometimes make this mistake. This is a quick and easy spot if the box is not the standard that is stated above.

Curvature of Soles

Next, let's take a look at the curvature of the soles of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1 from the side profile.

First thing you should notice is the overall shape of your sneakers. The authentic Yeezy Boost 350 V1 embodies a unique shape and curvature at the soles, which many counterfeits fail to replicate. The curve extends from the heels to the toe box. When the sneaker is laid down on a flat surface, the heel and the tip of the shoe should be lifted up from the ground.

Often times, you'll see that on counterfeits, both ends usually do not lift up due to the difference in the center of gravity on the sneaker.

We'll take a look at multiple examples...

Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Turtle Dove [Ex: 1]

Denoted by the dotted red line. Notice how the toe box of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1 curves upward with with more exaggeration on the legit shoe than on the replica. This creates much more distance from the tip of the shoe to the surface its on, which is denoted by dotted green line. On the fake Boost 350 V1, the lift is not prominent and is closer to the ground. You can also intuitively realize that the center of gravity of the fake pair is closer to the front of the shoe, which tips the shoe forward making it "front heavy".

Denoted by the green circle. You can see how the heel of the shoe on the authentic Boost 350 V1 is also being lifted up slightly and doesn't touch the ground. Whereas, on the fake, it touches the ground.

Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Pirate Black [Ex: 2]

Denoted by the dotted red line. We can see that the replica Yeezy Boost 350 V1's center of gravity if "front heavy", which doesn't allow it to lift up towards the toe box. This is denoted by the green dotted line on the distance between the tip of the shoe to the ground.

Denoted by the red circle. The heel in this case, is actually being slightly lifted up on the replica pair. However, the the sneaker is still "front heavy", which tips the shoe forward too much.

Sock Liner

Next, let's take a look at the sock liner of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1. In this area, we'll focus on the: [1] Curvature [2] Height

Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Turtle Dove [Ex: 1]

Curvature

Denoted by the yellow dotted line. Take a look at the bottom of the sock line on the fake Boost 350 V1 and you can see that it flattens out before it curves back upward. The bottom of the curve is completely flat on the replica, whereas on the authentic pair, the curvature continues throughout the entire sock liner.

Stitching

Denoted by the red circle. On the real Boost 350 V1, you should be able to see threads throughout the entire sock liner. However as you can see on the fake pair, a couple threads are missing when you zoom in. Also notice that there is no gap/spacing between each thread on the real pair. However the fake one does, and the spacing is inconsistent as well.

Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Pirate Black [Ex: 2]

Curvature

Denoted by the green dotted line. The width from left-to-right of the curvature is much shorter on the fake Yeezy sock liner compared to the authentic pair. In addition, the height from the sock liner near the heel and near the shoelaces are almost the equal. However on the real Yeezy, the sock liner is much higher near the shoelaces relative to the heel.

Stitching

You can see that the authentic Yeezy has visible stitching on the sock liner. However, on the fake pair you see an entire section that is missing the threads on the stitching. You can see it zoomed in, which is denoted by the blue circle.

Suede Patch

Next, we'll take a look a the patch on the side of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1. We'll look at the: [1] Size [2] "YZY" Text [3] Color

Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Turtle Dove [Ex: 1]

Size

Denoted by the green dotted line. Notice the radius of the patch on the real Boost 350 V1, it is much less than the fake Yeezy. The Authentic Yeezy Boost 350 V1s will always have an oval-ish shape to it. However on the fake Yeezy, you can see that it is completely circular, where the radius is too large.

"YZY" Text

Denoted by the red box. On the authentic suede patch, the depth of the "YZY" text imprint is much deeper than it is on the fake. The fake is embossed way too shallow. In addition to being shallow, the text size is much larger than the retails.

Yeezy Boost 350 V1 Pirate Black [Ex: 2]

"YZY" Text

Denoted by the red box. On the legit pair, you can see that the depth of the embossed "YZY" text is much deeper than on the fake. Also, the font being used is completely different on the real pair. Notice that the "arms" of the "Z" is much longer on the fake. Also notice the size different in the upper area of the letter "Y". On the authentic one, it creates a lowercase "v", but the fake one creates an uppercase "V", because it's too big.

Color

You can notice the difference in the color of the suede patches. On the real Yeezy, the color is slight green black. On the fake, it has too much of a strong tint of green to it.

Rear View

Next, take a look at the backside of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1. We'll focus on pull tab mainly.

Pull Tab

Denoted by the green dotted line, represents where the pull tab is stitched onto the sneaker. On the real pair, you can see that the distance between the lines are greater on the real Yeezy than on the fake. Due to the pull tab being stitched further apart, this also creates a longer strip, which is denoted by the yellow box.

Also notice the red embroidered stitching is thicker and larger on the real Yeezy compared to the fake one.

Middle Stitching

Next, take a look at the middle stitching on the toe box of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1.

Denoted by the red circle. On the authentic Yeezy, the threads for the stitching are usually much thicker than on the replicas.

Here's another example of this...

Boost Sole

Next, we'll take a look at the soles of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1. We'll put a focus on the boost window and the imprinted/embossed text on it.

Denoted by the red circle. Have a look at the texture of the boost foam. The authentic Yeezy Boost 350 V1s will always have a grainy texture on the foam with ridges. However, the replica in this case is lacking that same foam texture. It makes the texture look smooth.

Denoted by the red box. The text "adidas" in the real Yeezy is much thinner than on the fakes. Whereas, the replica has the text almost bolded. This is especially prominent in the letters "a" and "d'.

Denoted by the blue circle. We can take a look at the Adidas trefoil logo. On the Authentic Yeezy Boost 350s, the trefoil logo will be sharp and defined at the bottom. Denoted by the yellow arrow. However, on the fake, you can see that it is lacking the same sharpness and form.

Size Tag

Next, let's go inside the sneaker where the size tag label will reside. We will focus inconsistencies on the text [1] Thickness and/or [2] Spacing

We can immediately notice the difference in the font thickness between the authentic and fake Yeezy size tags.

Denoted by the red box. On the authentic size tag, the "MADE IN CHINA" text is much bolder than on the replcica.

Denoted by the blue box. The different country sizes is much more bolded/thick on the real size tag compared to the fake.

Denoted by the green box. We can see the same issue arise, where the real tag is thicker than the replica. In addition to that, we can see that the "hat" on top of the letter "A" is much bigger on the fake pair.

Insoles

Next, let's take out the insoles of the Yeezy Boost 350 V1 and examine the front and back side.

Front View

We can already notice the sloppiness of the text in the fake Boost 350 V1 insoles. The text is smudged and too bold/thick.

Denoted by the red box. On the replica shoe, the letters within "adidas" are too close and are nearly coming into contact with each other. However, on the real Yeezy, the letters have consistently spacing and isn't as bolded.

Denoted by the yellow box. We can see how sloppy and smudged the fake Yeezy insoles are on the trefoil logo. The trefoil shape has uneven leaves. The gap between the lines in the logo are also smudged and sloppy. On the real pair, the lines gaps between the lines are clearly visible.

Denoted by the green box. The fake as the "YEEZY" text too thick and sloppy. You can see this most prominent on the letter "Z". The letters are also too bubbly and round on the fake compared to the real pair.

Back View

Denoted by the yellow box. The gaps between the lines in the trefoil logo are not visible due. The lines are also curvy and sloppy compared to the lines on the Authentic Yeezy Boost 350.

Denoted by the dotted red circle. You can also see that the triangle inside the trefoil logo is sharp on the real pair. The fake one is shapeless and rounded.

Denoted by the red arrow. The letter "i" inside the text "adidas" on the replica is inconsistently spaced between the two letters "d". The "i" is closer to the first "d" than it is on the second "d". However, on the authentic pair, is perfectly spaced between the two letter "d".

Denoted by the green arrow. You can see this spacing inconsistency once again on the fake pair in this area. The outer outline is too close to the right trefoil leaf almost coming into contact. with it. However, the authentic Yeezy has it evenly spaced out through the entire outline.

UV Light

This final step is optional only for people who have a UV light source. This step is universal for ALL sneakers/shoes. Turn off all external lights, and shine your UV light on the Yeezy Boost 350 V1 and the box itself. Your goal is to look for any marks, stamps, or liquid stains.

Above are some examples and indicators you're trying to look for. Authentic Yeezy Boost 350 V1s should be completely clean and stain or mark free on the shoe itself and the box as well.

The 2 marks shown above are stamps from counterfeit manufacturers.