How To Spot FAKE Yeezy Slides in 2023 (All Colorways)

Context

From a manufacturing standpoint, Yeezy Slides 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, we must look for indicators outside of just the shape. Due to this simplicity of these shoes, we will naturally have less indicators to go off of when determining the authenticity compared to other Yeezy productions.

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 Slides 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 Slide 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 "195743773028" for the legit Yeezy box, and "191532825053" for the fake Yeezy box as shown in the image below.

Afterwards, look for matches confirming your Yeezy Slides 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 Slides box label. If they match, then the box may be authentic at least.

If the results are not in sync with the colorway, size and product ID, then it is also most likely fake. If you take a look at the fake box, it says size 7 however, you cannot find a size 7 in the results.

Remember that this means the box may be authentic, however your Yeezy Slides shoe may still be 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

Next, let's take a look at the box condition.

NOTE: Keep in mind this should be considered for only deadstock/new Yeezy Slides. Counterfeit Yeezy manufacturers usually have slightly damaged or imperfect boxes. If the box is damaged, it does not mean it's automatically a fake, since damage can occur naturally.

Have a look at the nicked black mark at the bottom of the replica Yeezy box, and damaged corner of the box.

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 Slides usually have inconsistencies with font thickness, spacing, and sloppiness. This is true even for extremely good counterfeit Yeezy Slides, but it may be harder to detect.

Let's have a look some examples where these inconsistencies are present.

"SLIDE" Text

Denoted by the orange box. Take a look at the spacing between the letter "L", "I" and "D". On the authentic box label, you can see that the spacing between each letter is equal. However if you take a look at the replica, you can see that the space between "I" and "D" is much greater than between "L" and "I".

6 Digit Code

Denoted by the red box. This code usually begins with 2 letters and ends with 4 numbers. In our case the authentic is "HQ6448" and the replica is "FW6345". Compare the font quality between the legit and fake labels. You can see how the replica's text is slightly cut off at the digit "5".

"ORIGINALS" Text

Denoted by the blue box. Have a look at the bottom of the word "ORIGINALS" on the fake Yeezy Slides label. You can see how the bottom of the word is slightly cut off - making the letters incomplete. Whereas, the authentic label is consistent and has good quality prints.

Size Tag/Inside Label

Next method is to take a look inside the Yeezy Slides and check out the inner size tag.

The size tags usually have inconsistency flaws relating to font/text boldness, thickness, spacing, and cutoffs. You can see that the text in the replica size tag all share the same font boldness without differentiation. The authentic tag has text that is bold, thin and regular...

Here are a few examples that present themselves on the replica:

Sizes

Denoted by the red box. Have a look at the authentic size tag and the replicas. You can see that the legit tag has all of the sizes for US, UK, FR, JP, and CHN bolded and thicker. Whereas on the fake one, they're all too thin and share equal boldness with the other texts.

"APE" and "STYLE" Code

Denoted by the 2 blue boxes. The same issue with font boldness arises again in these areas. On the authentic tag, the text is much thinner than the replicas. On the fakes, you can see how the text boldness is equal is the same as the surrounding text.

"adidas" Logo

Denoted by the green box. Here we can see 2 flaws (font boldness and letter spacing). The letters on the "adidas" logo for the authentic tag all share equal distance in spacing and letter boldness.

Whereas if you take a look at the replica, the letters have unequal thickness and distance/spacing between each letter. This is especially obvious in the letter "s", where the spacing is too far from the letter "a".

Security Code Matching

Denoted by the yellow box. The security code is a 3 digit number on the end of the bottom code. Both, the left and right Yeezy Slides should have a size tag inside. Make sure that the security codes DO NOT match each other. Adidas makes sure that the left and right slide have unique codes.

If the codes match, then it is a replica Yeezy Slides. If they do not match, it does not prove authenticity completely, since fake manufacturers sometime get this correct.

Inside Text Engraving

Next, we will look back inside the Yeezy Slides for another indicator. We will be focusing on the text engraving.

Right off the bat, you can notice the font style differences. There are 2 main flaws with the font style: font thickness and font angularity (text being too bubbly and not sharp). Here are 2 examples where the flaws are present on the replica Yeezy Slides.

"YEEZY" Text

Denoted by the red box. Take a look at the thickness of the "YEEZY" letters on the replica compared to the retails. The edges are rounded and not angular like the authentic ones, which make the letters look bubbly and rounded. This is especially prominent in the letters "EE".

Size Text

Denoted by the blue box. The same issue with font thickness and angularity arises at this area as well. The authentic engraving is thinner and have more angled edges.

Overall Shape

Next, we'll be taking a look at the overall shape.

From the shape alone, it is quite difficult to make any distinctions from the authentic and fake Yeezy Slides. Due to the simplicity of the shoe, replicating the shape itself is not difficult at all, because the material is simply EVA foam.

Whether it's looking at the toe box or the heels of the Yeezy Slides, the shape of the counterfeit is nearly impeccable. Of course you'll come across low quality counterfeits that will be flawed, but most get the shape right and is barely noticeable to the human eye.

Any authenticator using the shape alone as enough of a reference to determine its authenticity isn't telling the truth. Lets move on to the next step...

Logo Imprint

Let's take a look at the Adidas logo imprinted on the Yeezy Slides.

We have 4 notable flaws from the replica Yeezy Slides compared to the retail: logo thickness, spacing, sharpness, and material wear.

Logo Thickness

There are 3 lines in the Adidas logo. Check out the authentic logo compared to the replicas. You can spot the difference in the thickness of each line relatively easily. The fakes are too thin.

Line Spacing

Because the lines are much thinner on the replica Yeezy Slides, this naturally creates more spacing in between the logo lines.

Logo Sharpness

If you look at the corner of the Adidas logo, you'll see that the edge is too angular on the fake Yeezy Slides. Whereas, the authentic logo is rounded in the corners.

Material Wear

Denoted by the red circle. Have a look at the replicas separation between the material. You can begin to see slight wearing where its peeling off the shoe.

Unnatural Defects

Next, examine the Yeezy Slides for any signs of marks, creases, wrinkles, scratches or peeling material. Please note that this is for newer or unworn shoes. Also keep in mind, not all fake Yeezy Slides will have damage defects...

These defects/damages can only come from careless handling of the item, which is usually from counterfeit manufacturers. Please keep in mind that we're not looking for natural defects that occur over time from wear and tear. These defects will show up on "New" or "Like New" conditions as well, so it cannot come from wear and tear. So if you believe a defect came from your own mishandling, then omit that defect.

Here are some examples on a multiple of different fake Yeezy Slides...

Image 1 and 2 above displays nicked marks on 2 different fake Yeezy Slides.

Image 3 shows a fake where there's a linear path of nicked marks/dents. Image 4 shows a fake that has signs of a heavy and forceful crease.

Image 5 shows 3 nicked marks on the soles of a fake Yeezy Slide. Image 6 shows an area with heavy and unnatural wrinkles.

Sole

Next, we will take a look at the sole of the Yeezy Slides - particularly, the little nub on the sole.

NOTE: The older releases and productions of the authentic Yeezy Slides do not have the little nub or circle on the soles. This does not hold true for the most recent retail productions of Yeezy Slides.

So if your Yeezy Slide does not have a nub, it is most likely an older production of the shoe. This is a good sign of it being authentic. However, all counterfeits have this nub on the sole. Some better quality replica Yeezy Slides have a clean cut from the nub, which make it more comparable to the retails.

In the image below, is a lower tier counterfeit Yeezy Slide.

Here we have an obvious fake Yeezy Slide on the right. If you compare the legit shoe's nub to the replica, you can easily see the precision in the cut. Whereas in the fake shoe, it is not a clean cut, which leaves a messy imprint.

This is not a fool-proof method in determining if your Yeezy Slides are fake, however if the nub is cut off sloppily which leaves a crater or a texture that isn't flat/smooth, then you can be sure it's a fake.

In the case that the nub cut is clean and precise, it can still be a replica, so we'll have to look for other indicators of authenticity.

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 Slides 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.