How To Spot FAKE Yeezy Foam Runner in 2023 (All Colorways)

Context

From a manufacturing standpoint, Yeezy Foam Runners are easy to replicate for counterfeiters due to its simplicity in material and shape. All it really takes is an identical mold shape for the foam, and the shape will be nearly identical. Hence, the shape of counterfeits will be quite similar. So we must look for indicators outside of just the shape.

Barcode Search

Initial step is to take a look at the barcode present at the box label. Keep in mind that if the box passes, it does not imply your Yeezy Foam Runner is authentic or legit.

NOTE: Counterfeit or fake manufacturer could have gotten this correct as well. Also remember that the box can also be swapped out with a real box and a fake Yeezy Foam Runner inside. This indicator may not be as reliable for newer releases of Yeezy productions; therefore as a reference, use this for Yeezy productions prior to 2021.

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

Simply search the barcode number on Google searches. So in this case, you would search "195739108773" for the legit Yeezy box, and "4064056041024" for the fake Yeezy box as shown in the image below.

Afterwards, look for matches confirming your Yeezy Foam Runners are authentic. If there are many results on Google, then that's a good sign leading to authenticity.

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 Foam Runner box label. If they match, then the box may be authentic atleast. Remember that this means the box may be authentic, however your Yeezy Foam Runner may still be fake.

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 have a look at the box label sticker. We'll focus on the font inconsistencies with [1] Thickness [2] Spacing

Replica boxes for the Yeezy Foam Runner usually have inconsistencies with font thickness, spacing, and sloppiness. This is true even for extremely good counterfeit Yeezy Foam Runners, but it may be harder to detect. Let's have a look some examples where these inconsistencies are present. We'll focus on [1] General Inconsistencies [2] Font Thickness [3] Font Spacing

Denoted by the blue box. The authentic Foam Runner Stone Sage release will display "YZY FOAM RNR" as the naming convention on the box. However, on this replica, we can obviously see that it says 'FOAM FOAM RNR" - an obvious inconsistency. Other authentic releases may say "FOAM RUNNER", "YZY FOAM RUNNER", "FOAM RNNR" or other variations depending on the release or country.

Denoted by the orange box. Here is another obvious inconsistency with the naming convention. The original will say "STOSAG", however we can clearly see the fake displaying the whole name "STONE SAGE".

Denoted by the yellow box. The retail box label is displayed as "FABRIQUE EN CHINA", however the replica is missing the "EN", and only presents "FABRIQUE CHINA".

Denoted by the red box. Notice the different font being used, as well as the different font size being used on the fake vs real box label. The real box label barcode font is much bigger than the replica's barcode font. The font is different as well.

Material Texture

Next, let's take a look at the rubber texture of the Foam Runners. The texture throughout the shoe should be the same with an exception to the outsole and footbed. Due to the material mixture used for the Yeezy Foam Runners being kept secret, counterfeits will most likely never make an exact replica. Hence, we see this being the most obvious flaw on the texture of the Foam Runners.

The authentic Yeezy Foam Runners will have a grainy texture to the shoe. This will be evident throughout the entire shoe. This grainy texture most likely will not be present, even on top-tier counterfeits.

The replica as shown above has the material much too smooth. It is also missing the black sprinkles within the material mixture.

Shoe Holes

Next, let's take a look at the holes on the Yeezy Foam Runners. While the shape of counterfeits are nearly identical, the creation of the holes usually aren't. Let's take a look at some examples...

Yeezy Foam Runner Mineral Blue (Ex: 1)

Denoted by the red circle. Notice the rear part of the Foam Runner will display 3 large holes. The center hole on the authentic should resemble a more elongated and narrow oval shape. However, on the replica, the oval is much wider and also slightly sloped upwards more than the original.

Denoted by the yellow circle and yellow arrows. Notice that on the replica, the carved out holes have material on the edges peeling off noticeably more frequent and sloppy. Keep in mind that the originals do have mild peeling as well, however seldom to this extent. So although, this is not a 100% indicator, be wary if the majority of the holes have peeling material.

Yeezy Foam Runner Sand (Ex: 2)

Denoted by the red circle. Notice the peeling material on the hole cutouts. The authentic Foam Runners will also display mild peeling in some cases, so this isn't a 100% indicator. However, be wary of the authenticity if the peeling is extensive and frequent throughout all the hole cutouts.

Size Tag/Inside Label

Next method is to take a look inside the Yeezy Foam Runner and check out the inner size tag. We'll look for inconsistencies with [1] Text Thickness [2] Text Spacing

There will be mild differences depending on Foam Runner release and size. We'll go over multiple examples of different color way and sizes as well for your own comprehension...

Yeezy Foam Runner Stone Sage (Ex: 1)

Denoted by the yellow box. The fake Foam Runner size tag uses a much smaller font to display the sizes. The authentic size tag should be slightly larger.

Denoted by the green box. Notice the sheer size difference in the QR code present on the fake compared to the retail. The fake one is much too big and takes up too much space on the label (almost 25%). The authentic QR code should be conservative in the size and have equal length to the "adidas" text.

Denoted by the red box. Notice the difference in the placement of the "adidas" text. The replica has the text at the left of the QR code, and is also much smaller than the QR code. Whereas the authentic tag has the "adidas" is placed at the bottom of the QR code, and is also equal in length to the QR code.

Yeezy Foam Runner Mineral Blue (Ex: 2)

Denoted by the red box. Notice that the fake size tag is much thicker in the font than the real tag. You can see this being most prominent on the number "8" and "42".

Denoted by the orange box. Here we see a similar issue arise. The font is too thick and dark on the replica Foam Runner tag. The authentic shoe tag should be very thin.

Denoted by the green box. The "adidas" text is far too thick on the replica shoe tag compared to the real one. The legit one is much thinner.

Inside Text Engraving

Next, let's move onto the inner text engraving. The engraving will display the size and the country it was manufactured in.

Overall, the replica text engraving lacks depth and is much more bubbly and blurred than on the authentic one. Some other differences are highlighted by the arrows.

Denoted by the red arrow. Notice the different in the style of the letter "O" between the real and fake Foam Runners. The authentic one is more angular/boxy and resembles the number "0" more than the letter "O". However the replica is a completely rounded "O".

Denoted by the yellow arrow. Once again, notice the different font style used for the number "1". The authentic has the bottom legs of the number, and looks like "𝟷". Whereas the fake one is missing the bottom legs, and looks like "1".

Denoted by the blue arrow. Notice how bubbly the letter "S" is on the fake Foam Runner, where the outline of the "S" is blurred and not sharp. However, the real shoe has a distinguished letter "S" that's sharp and recognizable.

Denoted by the green arrow. Notice the spacing between "10 US" and "MADE". The space gap on the fake shoe is barely present, and the words are too close together. Whereas, the retail pair there is a distinct gap between each word to separate them.

Logo Imprint

Next, let's flip the Foam Runner to the bottom and check out the Adidas logo imprint present on the outsole. We'll focus on [1] Logo Thickness [2] Logo Spacing [3] Texture

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

Yeezy Foam Runner Mineral Blue (Ex: 1)

Denoted by the red circle. Notice the material texture difference between the fake and real Foam Runner. All authentic Foam Runners must have a grainy/granular texture to the material. The fake Foam Runner is much too smooth.

Yeezy Foam Runner Sand (Ex: 2)

Denoted by the blue box. First notice the 3 striped Adidas logo, and you'll notice the fake logo is too bubbly. You can see the corner of each stripe being too rounded compared to the retail. Due to this thickness, you can also notice that the spacing between each stripe is much too close in the fake. The authentic shoe has thinner stripes and mildly more space between each stripe.

Also notice the text imprint "adidas" on the fake is extremely sloppy with smudged letters. The authentic one is thinner and also has distinguished letters.

Denoted by the red circle. Notice the material texture difference between the fake and real Foam Runner. All authentic Foam Runners must have a grainy/granular texture to the material. The fake Foam Runner is much too smooth.

Hang Tag

Next, if your Yeezy Foam Runner is dead stock, then you can take a look at the hang tag. The first thing you want to do is ensure that the product information (size, color way, barcode) all match the information on the size tag AND box label.

If everything matches, then we must still look at the font inconsistencies, since counterfeits will sometimes get this correct.

Denoted by the red box. The fake hang tag's bottom ECP box is much too small relative to the RFID box. The RFID is clearly much bigger than the ECP on the replica. However, the authentic hang tag has the RFID and ECP box almost equal in size.

Denoted by the dotted blue outline. Notice the padding difference between the label and the text. The replica hang tag has greater padding or gap in spacing. The real hang tag padding is extremely narrow.

UV Light Check

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 Foam Runner 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 Foam Runners 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.