Grey market discussion thread (Let's keep the discussion mature) Rules on pg 1 please read before yo

[theshoewizard]

When you say fakes, you mean GM pairs or actual fake sneakers?

 

[jchambers]

When you say fakes, you mean GM pairs or actual fake sneakers?

The line is blurred. Plenty of mom and pop stores use bigger Nike accounts, but their kicks are all real. Are those fake? You can't be absolutely positive unless you are dealing with Eastbay/ NDC or Footlocker, etc. When I am talking about "grey market", I mean the high priced "fakes" that are identical to official releases. They usually run retail or higher in price. When I say "fakes", I am referring to those warped sole/ spongebob/spiderman/ clear garbage materials shoes you get for $50 at the corner store or swap meet. You can never be sure unless you cop from a major official store on release day and get a receipt. Even then, if the grey markets are as great as they say they are, someone could have swapped out some officials for grey markets at a large retailer and you would never even know it.

 

[Tony $now]

When you say fakes, you mean GM pairs or actual fake sneakers?

I was referring to the authentic pairs nike releases with colorways fake website had back in the past

 

[AimbotHacker]

^In regards to the space jams, I've never seen a pair. Space jams also came out in 2009. I think the grey market ship sailed on those.

In regards to ordering online, I wouldn't do that either.

By grey market, do you mean pairs that are strictly made before the retail release date? A lot of those websites are selling pairs that are made after the RD, i.e. the Space Jams or XVIII's...

 

[Bert.]

I just saw an Hibbett employee wearing an extremely suspect pair of Space Jams. Of course I asked why they looked so new and had an icy blue sole and of course he gave a weak excuse

I always wondered if Hibbet carried those grey markets.



I have an update on the "Authentic Space Jams". I have been trying to source a pair from a few different spots. I email the people and they tell me that they have them in stock, then when I order them, I get an email in terrible English saying that they want me to pay with Western Union or Moneygram (not happening). Once I pay with credit card, they inform me that they don't have my size (half size), but have the next size up. I would have been screwed had I paid with WU or Moneygram. It has always been the case that poor quality fakes don't come in half sizes, so I am only going to be satisfied with a half size pair. So far, no luck. The charges to my card have been to a travel agency in China also. I would strongly advise other posters here to avoid these "grey market" or "authentic" kicks, even ones that have good reviews on Youtube. I have yet to find a legit source online that actually carries half sizes, even thought they are listed on the websites and they assure me that they have them in hand before I pay. Most of these websites look and run like a 1997 Geocities or Angelfire site. There is no inventory control and I am starting to wonder if they are just straight up credit card scam sites. Stick to NDC and Eastbay, Footlocker, etc. It really isn't worth the headache. If I do actually get my hands on a pair, I will still post comparison pics, but the future is looking bleak right now. I see quite a few credit card chargebacks coming up.

thats because the places you tried to order from are 100% fakes meaning fake carbon, fake leather, fake everything

why not try the regular China sites with those Space Jams to compare them?

 

[jacksodk]

The line is blurred. Plenty of mom and pop stores use bigger Nike accounts, but their kicks are all real. Are those fake? You can't be absolutely positive unless you are dealing with Eastbay/ NDC or Footlocker, etc. When I am talking about "grey market", I mean the high priced "fakes" that are identical to official releases. They usually run retail or higher in price. When I say "fakes", I am referring to those warped sole/ spongebob/spiderman/ clear garbage materials shoes you get for $50 at the corner store or swap meet. You can never be sure unless you cop from a major official store on release day and get a receipt. Even then, if the grey markets are as great as they say they are, someone could have swapped out some officials for grey markets at a large retailer and you would never even know it.

And I seen it happen at a major retail store. Manager got fired once the scheme was uncovered. If you didn't know about it.....you still don't know. Just select employees high up in the rankings. If that news were to get out, that store would not be in this town now! I never knew exactly where he got em from, but the white/red 12's I saw was indistinguishable from the real deal. If it wasn't for the manager selling his stock with the store stock, I don't think he ever would have got caught. Big dummy. You can't have store sales for 50 pairs if you only received 20. Guess he thought he could outsmart the computer trail.

 

[jchambers]

I just saw an Hibbett employee wearing an extremely suspect pair of Space Jams. Of course I asked why they looked so new and had an icy blue sole and of course he gave a weak excuse

I always wondered if Hibbet carried those grey markets.



I have an update on the "Authentic Space Jams". I have been trying to source a pair from a few different spots. I email the people and they tell me that they have them in stock, then when I order them, I get an email in terrible English saying that they want me to pay with Western Union or Moneygram (not happening). Once I pay with credit card, they inform me that they don't have my size (half size), but have the next size up. I would have been screwed had I paid with WU or Moneygram. It has always been the case that poor quality fakes don't come in half sizes, so I am only going to be satisfied with a half size pair. So far, no luck. The charges to my card have been to a travel agency in China also. I would strongly advise other posters here to avoid these "grey market" or "authentic" kicks, even ones that have good reviews on Youtube. I have yet to find a legit source online that actually carries half sizes, even thought they are listed on the websites and they assure me that they have them in hand before I pay. Most of these websites look and run like a 1997 Geocities or Angelfire site. There is no inventory control and I am starting to wonder if they are just straight up credit card scam sites. Stick to NDC and Eastbay, Footlocker, etc. It really isn't worth the headache. If I do actually get my hands on a pair, I will still post comparison pics, but the future is looking bleak right now. I see quite a few credit card chargebacks coming up.

thats because the places you tried to order from are 100% fakes meaning fake carbon, fake leather, fake everything

why not try the regular China sites with those Space Jams to compare them?

Nah, they are grey markets. I know other people who have ordered. It is hit or miss really. Any ordering of Nike or Jordan products directly from China is shady, that is unquestionable.

 

[btptt555]

http://niketalk.com/t/321285/early-jordan-release-info-its-time-everyone-knows


This is exactly what alot of us have been saying.

Thanks for digging this up, I was looking for it off and on the past few days, but have been kind of busy and didn't remember the title.  Regardless, there is lots of good stuff in that thread posted by some straight OG vets who know wtf they are talking about. 

 

[btptt555]

Not sure how to Xpost this but here is some info for those that don't take time to read dead threads.  Sorry for formatting, I just copy and pasted, hope this isn't against any rules or anything...

From Ijapino:

Until these sites get permanently shut down with a cease and desist order from Nike, I'm still on the fence...

We've all seen fake shoes before. These just don't fit the description. These aren't air max/hybrid models...they're not unreleased colorways with cartoon characters on them...They actually resemble what the released shoe looks like...They also usually come with everything (box, paper, key chain, card etc...)

If anything, it's a quality issue that people have a problem with. (i.e. JOQDAN instead of JORDAN, crooked 23 or tumbled leather where it's supposed to be smooth) But that still doesn't make me a believer that these are fakes. With EVERY major shoe release we hear a hundred stories about the shoddy craftsmanship from Jordan Brand. This dates all the way back from when the Brand began. Anyone remember "JORDNA" on the boxes? How about the paint chipping? Or the creasing straight from the box? I've seen "Fakes" with better quality.

Numerous sites pop up on a daily basis only to be shut down after a few months. These guys have been around for years. And with Nike's hand in the pot, this dude's explanation wouldn't surprise me. The fact that they're in it to make some money off b-grade materials on EARLY release HYPED shoes has Nike written all over it.

I say decide for yourself. If you choose to buy...buy with extreme caution. If you choose to stay away, that's your business.

More from Ijapino:

Before I get into dissecting your post, let me first state in no way am I taking sides with these sites...I'm simply playing devil's advocate....I see valid points to both sides, but I still think people need to decide for themselves.

- WHAT IS ONE TO THINK OF THE GLARING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OFFICIAL RELEASED PAIRS AND THESE EARLY RELEASE FAKES?
What differences are we talking about and on what shoes specifically? If it's something as subtle as the elephant print being different boldness, let me remind you that the JB quality has always been random. I noticed this even when the 2001 III's came out. I've seen everything from upside down Jumpmans on VIII's to completely mis-stitched errors on other shoes. The whole "JOQDAN" XI's typo isn't enough to prove fake. Even OBVIOUS fakes can get the spelling correct...These were just mis-stitched. Perhaps Nike/JB knew this and marked them as "B-Grades" and sold to AR and SDS....
 

- RESTOCKS OF VERY POPULAR SHOES POPPING UP YEARS AFTER THE FACT. I.E. SPACE JAMS AND EVEN HAVE JAY FROM SDS ADMIT THEY WERE REMADE. MATTER OF FACT, DO YOU THINK REMADE SPACE JAMS OR REMADE SHOES YEARS LATER ARE FAKE? WHATEVER REMADE MEANS 

If I'm to assume that Nike/JB has been selling these sites "B-Grades" I have to assume that they're also selling them scrap parts. If this is the case, then the shoes are still made from authentic materials...Just not created with Nike's consent. Again, at this point it's all assumption.
 

- THE NEW CROP OF PROMOS POPPING UP IN FULL SIZE RUNS? 

I think this relates to the last question. Same thing here. Spare/Scrap parts being sold to guys like AR and SDS. If they were indeed totally fake, I think a cease and desist order would have been filed immediately and we would have known about it.
 

- WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THESE EARLY RELEASES BEING RESOLD ON NIKETALKS BUY/SELL FORUM AS WELL AS OTHER SNEAKERHEAD AVENUES AS A-GRADE STORE BOUGHT PAIRS? WOULD YOU BE HAPPY IF YOU PURCHASED A PAIR OFF HERE AND THIS IS WHAT YOU RECEIVED? CONSEQUENTLY, DO YOU PURCHASE FROM THESE SITES YOURSELF?

As with everything, I think until we know the absolute truth on these shoes, that people need to proceed with caution. as NY GIANTS 11 mentioned earlier, these types of shoes aren't the fakes were accustomed to seeing. They're not being released in wild unreleased colorways with Spongebob on the side. Nor are they some crazy Air Max-Force 1-Jordan hybrid. These are almost exact to whats being released. Somebody coined the phrase "Super Fakes" this past year, but again it's not something that can be spotted easily from even the most experienced sneakerhead. If they are indeed fake, there's gotta be something that distinguishes them from the real ones. The problem is that the quality has become so bad in the past decade that people have come to expect poor craftsmanship from Nike/JB products. It's sad to see that people would rather have an authentic, poorly made shoe rather than a well made "Superfake." Do your research. If you don't feel comfortable with buying shoes through our buy/sell forums, then you don't have to. Ask questions to the seller...Where did you buy these from originally? Are there any noticeable differences? As far as buying from these sites myself? I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've bought from early release type sites. And each time, I've also bought an extra pair when they were released in stores...And Each time, the shoes were the exact same. Maybe I missed something but I have yet to find any flaws. It wasn't until this whole concord fiasco that I actually started doubting them....Not enough for me to pick a side but enough for me to hold out from buying again.

- IF THESE ARE B-GRADES WHY ARE THEY ADVERTISED AS A-GRADES? SHADY, NO? THESE FAKES BEING ADVERTISED AS A-GRADES ALLOWS THEM TO CHARGE MORE THAN RETAIL BECAUSE WHO WOULD PAY MORE THAN RETAIL FOR A B-GRADE?
If sites like Air Randy and Slam Dunk Space

[color= rgb(255, 255, 255)]know[/color]  they're B-Grades...Then Yes, it's a shady business practice to market them as A-Grades. However, I'm willing to bet that even if they admit to them being B-grades that people would still flock to their sites and buy them if it means having a chance and getting shoes months in advance. Also remember that they're a business. If Nike is truly in fact selling these guys B-Grades or Spare parts they still need to turn around and make a profit from what they're given. I guess you can say the same for Nike/JB itself. We buy shoes from Footlocker, Footaction, Champs all the time expecting high quality A-Grades and then we get home only to notice the Jumpman's right arm is half missing. How the hell does that happen? People tend to give up quality if the demand is high enough. We see it all the time on here. A "hot" B-Grade shoe gets released at Nike Outlets and people are freaking out in order to cop a pair...Even to a point where they'll buy from re-sellers for above retail price. I've seen it with countless shoes....DMP's, Cool Greys, Carmines, Hares, etc....And let's not forget about the Banned 1's.

FAKES COME IN ALL VARIETIES FROM ONLY THE ONES YOU LISTED IN YOUR POST. WE WOULDN'T NEED A LEGIT CHECK FORUM IF ALL FAKES WERE LIKE THAT OTHERWISE THEY WOULD ALL BE EASILY SPOTTED.
I completely agree. But with all fakes, there's always something that distinguishes itself from a legit pair...This is assuming all legit pairs are consistently the same. I tell people in the legit checks forums all the time...we're not trying to distinguish real pairs from fakes, we're trying to distinguish FAKES from real pairs.
 

IMO, THOSE OTHER SITES WERE SHUT DOWN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T PAY THEIR TITHES IF YOU GET WHAT I MEAN.
They also had OBVIOUS FAKES. AR and SDS don't. If they are in fact selling products out the back door, they're doing something right by Nike. This only adds to the theory that Nike is allowing them to buy B-Grades or Scraps from them.
 

I GUESS IT'S HARD TO PICTURE FOR PEOPLE IF YOU HAVEN'T ACTUALLY BOUGHT FROM THESE SITES BUT FOR ME AND MANY OTHER MEMBERS ON HERE WHO HAVE ACTUALLY HELD STORE BOUGHT AND EARLY RELEASE PAIRS SIDE BY SIDE, IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS FOR ME THAT THEY WERE FUGAZZI.
What made them fake? As I mentioned before, I've bought shoes from early release sites before and never noticed any flaws. Maybe I got lucky and ended up with all legit pairs?
 

THEIR DOWNFALL WAS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO GET GREEDY WITH THE SPACE JAMS, PROMOS AND OF COURSE MANY SNEAKERHEADS #1 SHOE, CONCORDS. THEY BROUGHT TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES EVEN THOUGH ME AND A COUPLE OTHER MEMBERS HAVE BEEN SCREAMING FOUL FOR YEARS.
You're correct about this. Too many high in-demand shoes at once caused people to stop and look. I'll even admit this myself. It wasn't until this past year that I started doubting their legitimacy.
 

LET US NOT FORGET, A COUPLE OF THESE SITES HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUSTED IN THE PAST FOR SELLING UNDENIABLE FAKES (AIR RANDY AND THE 23'S ANYONE?)
True, but why is okay for them to sell shoes early now? If Randy was busted in the past, why has Nike allowed him to open up shop again? With a shoe such as the XX3's we all knew that was being held tightly under wraps. Jordan Brand had people fired over early pictures leaking. That shoe itself was supposed to be an end of an era type shoe and they didn't want ANYONE having it early. Maybe Randy jumped the gun a lil early and messed up by leaking them early? Was he given a cease and desist letter or simply "suspended" on Nike's terms?

 

[btptt555]

From the man himself Rockdeep aka NIkeDealer:

I HAD to chuckle when I read the thread starters proclamation of Nike selling B Grades to websites.

I made a LONG post I cant find to reference but it made reference to fakes, and "extra's" leaving from the factories of Nike.

1. There is a HUGE difference between fakes and illegally sold Nikes.

Fakes are made from Fabricated materials OUTSIDE of a Nike website.  There are several grades of Fakes.  People need to get out of the idea that MOLDS are stolen and they are made that way.  A mold is what Nike takes of feet to get an idea of an exact shoe size for their players.

People within Factories are getting ahold of Technical Packages called Tech Packs which are sent from Nike Product Line Managers/ Engineers to their counterpart in different factories.  These files are not encrypted (which is completely possible)

From there the same process used to create a REAL Nike shoe is replicated either in a make shift factory or even at factories AFTER HOURS.  How do I know all this?  From doing ALOT of research when I ran a site called FakePolice.com years ago and working with a few folks within Nike to get a gauge of how the process works and where the failures are in the process.

I proposed a procedure which could save Nike literally BILLIONS in Lost revenue but these things fell on deaf ears, as CWK will attest many folks within the walls hate being told from someone OUTSIDE of NIKE how to FIX something WITHING Nike.

Smaller steps were taken to prevent this as ebay has significantly cut down on the amount of fakes sold on their site due to suits Nike threatened to make.

Next. Many sites get their shoes from actual factory workers who have the access to literally lift a crap load of shoes out in its OFF HOURS.  To be clear.. and this is known by some but realized by many others, that fakes are not  a HUGE terrorist  support mechanism but it IS a huge part of the Asian Mafia. 

Fake Nation has their own set of Designers. Their own set of Product Line Engineers making sure the shoes they produce fit the tooling they make.  Hence the hideous and sometimes intriguing Hybrids and Mash ups you see.

They watch this and other Sneaker Websites to see what it is YOU clamor for that Nike is not producing and make it readily available.  Cole Haans.. Reeboks.. EVERY shoe is replicated.. just not as much as Nike.

Their are other grades of fakes that are done in basements from folks who just do what they can with what they have.

I mean has anyone ever asked the question: Is everyone in Asia BORN with the ability to produce sneakers?  I mean come on.  The same folks IN the legal factories and I say legal when OPEN for business are the same folks working after hours.  This isnt a skill you are born with and THIS and THIS alone is how you can see the difference in the quality of fakes.

For a time their were Jordan XI Concords which were produced in fake nation and still are which NEVER yellowed compared to the REAL Jordans which did. There was a time when Foamposite was made of a HARD sturdy yet malleable material which would eventually fit snug around your foot.  Then Fake nation started producing a softer HORRID version of the Lebron IV which had Foamposite material.

Soon you had Nike making the Foam Lites. Coincidence?

 Listen. There are soooo many layers to this I could write a book.  But to think Nike would SELL their B Grades and NOT stamp them to unknown websites who will sell them early is the MOST absurd crap ever written.

For those asking about why Nike wont shut down certain websites, its because they dont put money into their IP (Intellectual Property) Lawyers . Reebok/Adidas and even New Balance put a large portion of money into keeping sites and factories from producing or selling fake items.  Dolce & Gabanna, Coach and other Industry outlets do the same.

This is something huge that Nike has shown minimal interest in stopping.  As I said before. if Nike isn't interested in doing more.. why should I care?  Instead they want to bust barbershop dudes trying to hustle to make ends meet?  Yeah its not right..... but just like busting drug dealers... they replace them with new runners.

When a site is taken down.. 5 more pop up.  When you sue or bust someone at the flee market or barbershop plenty more will arise selling product.  The means to stop it where it stops.. RIGHT in their building is the problem.

I mean I'll take it a step further... there were dudes selling REAL Nike Product to underground sellers on the PE Market... and all they did at first after a long time was move dude who was doing it to another section of Nike and the dude who let them know about it was fired. lololol.

Im still loyal to my boys who work there so when it comes to making your purchases... yes.. be cautious... but when it comes to Randy.. I guess alot of people forget Air - Randy aka Promo Shoes.. aka Kitty Pig used to all be the same person.....aka Dennis. 

Dennis has ALOT of connections in Asia.. ALOT.  He has the means to ALOT of resources as well.   I'll leave it at that cause Im not one to knock the next mans hustle either..but I'll say this.. at least the shoes he's selling has the EXACT same materials and workers that Nike has....... You do the math...

If Randy were smart...he'd open back up his site.. lower his prices and make a killing because buying early's cool.... but threads like that will make everyone leary of doing it now.

Gain that trust back and go from there.  I dont promote fakes... but I'll never hate on Marquee Sole, or other sites like it because they are hustling just like us here in the states...

But haters gon hate.  Just ask your boy Shaike

 

[btptt555]

Again from Rockdeep:

You guys have to realize shoes are different from Factory to Factory. As far as construction differences.. but they are so slight its hardly noticeable.

There is alot of legitamacy to what Ninjahood says.. I suppose most glossed over my long as discertation lolol because it had no pics.... but when it comes from the factory.. and is made with the same materials...

Its real. Just because the midsole feels different and the air bag is flat makes it something quality control catches and pitches.

Hasn't anyone ever heard folks complain their Zoom bags have bottomed out? Well thats because of faulty air bags.

Am I saying AR has great business practices? Not at all... but he has access to resources NO OTHER sites have... to produce alot of stuff.

More:

Also.....

For people to think its fishy that sites show kicks before Nike/Jordan promotes a shoe......well these sites have access when production happens which is MONTHS before release.

Making over 100K shoes isn't a one week process.

Also as mentioned...folks got hip LONG ago.l

Pay poo poo wages... they'll make it up in other ways....

More:

Actually air bags arent "filled in" at one particular point or another... they are pre-fabricated on their own and inserted during the construction of the shoe process...so it should have been placed in but it doesnt mean it wasnt faulty...

I wonder was the OTHER shoe flat as well.

More:

I truly cant believe what some folks believe is true.

Selling scraps to non legal entities which aren't authorized dealers?

Come on bruh? You cant believe that unless you are under the age of 15 and I know my sons dont believe that...

More:

We'd have to agree to disagree as I've seen the process and most air bags are produced pre- construction and inserted during contruction.  Albeit there are several types of air bags.. but access to airbags is almost impossible post construction.

 

[jchambers]

View media item 437421

 

[quise2024]

Did we forget about "exclusive" black bottom 9s last month?

via NDC

"In October 2012 the Jordan Brand released several colors of the iconic Air Jordan 9. The product celebrated the “Johnny Kilroy” campaign launched by the brand in 1995. During the creation process of this launch a small percentage of the product was built with a black outsole (versus the white outsole that was intended). Due to the colors not being correct the product was automatically classified as a “B-grade” product. “B-grade” is the technical term for a flawed product; in this case the “flaw” is merely an outsole color that does not match the product code.
The team associated with the brand love Jordans and none of us felt comfortable destroying a perfectly good product. Instead, we decided to do what Michael himself would have done…identify a challenge and attack it. In this case, consumers are the winners.
The Jordan Brand has decided to provide our fans and consumers the opportunity to buy this “instant classic” On May 9th, 2013 the Air Jordan 9 “Black Bottom” will be offered exclusively at Nike.com at a retail price of $130.00.
Air Jordan 9 “Black Bottom” (Access via @NikeStore Twitter link only)
Price: $130
Sizes: 7-13.5, 14, 15
Limit 1 per customer"

 

[btptt555]

More:

Please keep reading the BOLD  part over and over.

I'll to this that if you have been in the sneaker world any part of 10 years... you'd know that MOST fake and I mean FAKE sneakers made OUT of Factories with poo poo materials NEVER had Air bags but extra phylon or Styrofoam .. When you see pairs of illegally obtained Nikes with Aribags attached to insoles and chopped up kicks WITH airbags.. they are either lifted factory pairs or pairs which didnt pass inspection.

In AiR Randys case... as I mentioned dude has the resources others dont to make up just about whatever he wants.

I will also state again.. this is something Nike can crack down on but chooses not to unless its for dexterity sake to show their Asian govt they want to cease some factories from illegal production. However a new factory is created and the process starts all over again.

Again.  There are no molds guys..  NONE. Its a bit more sophisticated than that now.

More:

1man2lives... this is not conjecture speculation or my opinion its fact.

Gentry, GARY DESTEFANO (look him up) and Trevor Edwards about Nike possibly having a program or situation where they may sell B Grades or less than B Grades to local non authorized asian web site owners or local vendors.

All said NO.

Do you all realize HERE in the US and overseas Nike Shreds REAL Grade A (if that is a term) kicks that have nothing wrong with them that are samples so they can grind it up for Basketball Courts or such?

Why would they sell it to sites for an additional few bucks....and they are a multi billion dollar company? Just think about it fellas. lol.

More:

Danimal.. you are on the right path my man.

What many people dont understand is this.

Nike sells most shoes to their retailers for 40% of the MSRP or 60% of the MSRP%

You see the SAME versions of these shoes on websites which house illegal shoes at that SAME price.

Why? Because it costs both the same amount to MAKE the shoe and they sell it for about the same price WHOLE SALE.

To the CORRECT fact that you stated Jordan cant re-release a shoe the same way twice is because they literally recreate the tech pack. NOT MOLDs. lol.

High grade fakes OR Replicas as stated made from the same materials OR better are made from REAL Engineered tech specs.. developed into the patterns... NOT MOLDS.

More:

Memphis.. I see where you can say some may want to be on the OTHER side of the argument...

But... to Ninja's point and other dude with the Lambo Avi.... for as many people who claim to get "irregular" kicks from MS, AR or any other site, the same can be said about Eastbay, Finishline or Footlocker.

Some go into Nike outlets EXPECTING irregular... but I THINK Heathen is saying is if the same sneaker NOT marked B grade comes from MS or AR is then fake. That cant be the case IF its the same exact B grade you'd find at a Nike Outlet.

I've mentioned it before and I'll state it again for those who may have glossed over it.

The dude who did the in depth video stated he had purchased kicks from the VNV or whatever that site is for YEARS... yet the pair he decided to dissect had ALL these defects and smelled like glue as would kicks from blatent poo poo factories...

Why did it take such a sneaker officianado as he claimed to be so long to determine he was getting fakes from a reputable place? Wouldn't they ALL smell like glue and have blatant defects?

Why wasn't the OTHER "fake" he had dissected to see if the other air bag was deflated? Most FAKES.. not B Grades called fakes.. BUT FAKES dont even have air bags.

Just a few things to think about.

More:

This is true...

Fake makers had the Foam Lite material before Foam lites were even a shoe.

They were just called the Lebron IV

More:

Why do people keep saying that mulitple pairs have been dissected?  There is ONE vid out...and the guy cut ONE shoe open not both.. he showed a deflated air bag.  IF you knew about fakes.. they dont even USE airbags... 

Which is why I keep asking for those who are now authorities... why did he not cut open BOTH cool grey pairs AND if he were such an authority on VNV or whatever the site was and had been ordering from them for years...>WHY did it take til just then for him to question their authentic nature?

Still unanswered.....

 

[AWOKEN CHARISMA]

I've read from pg1 to the current 44th page,, There is undoubtedly some very good info throughout this thread..

 I've always suspected that some early release sites were possibly getting pairs from the same sweat shop/shops which produce the Authentic Nikes and other major brands products..

 It make perfect sense how this happens,, it's certainly not out of the realm of possibility to think, Just because a Major Brand sets a certain amount of whatever particular item  is to be made, that they cease production at that exact number which is set, or for that matter begin that production with the actual 1st pair of 20,000.->..<-(meaning i.e. the actual 1st shoe or whatever item that was marked as the 1 of 20,000 isn't actually the 100th ,200th, shoe/item or so on that was produced)

Its naive to think those production workers aren't looking to capitalize off of the abundance of sought after products they have ,or can have at their disposal...

. Like many others may or may not admit,,  if I was in their position I'd be extremely tempted to over produce for the guaranteed financial gain..

Thx to all who've contributed with substantial & knowledgeable info on this topic,, its certainly has been a very ,very interesting, and enlightening read..

 

[mikeylab]

I find this thread to very interesting and informative; special thanks to jumpmankb.

I have lately considered eBay to be a 'grey market', because, after inquiring about a pair of foamposite AF-1 that were cracking on me, I received this email (in response to their initial form email): 

Thanks for your reply. However, because eBay is not an authorized Nike dealer I am unable to assist any further. Our warehouse inspectors will only inspects shoes that meet our terms and conditions. 

I'm sorry for the inconvenience.

So I have not purchased any Nike shoes from Ebay since that time.   I can post the initial form email if anyone is interested.

 

[thegamemodo9]

More:

Please keep reading the BOLD  part over and over.

Unless I missed it, you didn't bold anything.

 

[ksull90]

I always wondered if Hibbet carried those grey markets.

I'm pretty sure Hibbett is all legit, but this particular guy had on a band New pair of space jams with an icy blue sole



I have an update on the "Authentic Space Jams". I have been trying to source a pair from a few different spots. I email the people and they tell me that they have them in stock, then when I order them, I get an email in terrible English saying that they want me to pay with Western Union or Moneygram (not happening). Once I pay with credit card, they inform me that they don't have my size (half size), but have the next size up. I would have been screwed had I paid with WU or Moneygram. It has always been the case that poor quality fakes don't come in half sizes, so I am only going to be satisfied with a half size pair. So far, no luck. The charges to my card have been to a travel agency in China also. I would strongly advise other posters here to avoid these "grey market" or "authentic" kicks, even ones that have good reviews on Youtube. I have yet to find a legit source online that actually carries half sizes, even thought they are listed on the websites and they assure me that they have them in hand before I pay. Most of these websites look and run like a 1997 Geocities or Angelfire site. There is no inventory control and I am starting to wonder if they are just straight up credit card scam sites. Stick to NDC and Eastbay, Footlocker, etc. It really isn't worth the headache. If I do actually get my hands on a pair, I will still post comparison pics, but the future is looking bleak right now. I see quite a few credit card chargebacks coming up.

 

[jacksodk]

I was just going to post something similar. Do you think marquee sole, sole up, etc actually can make a fake months before we even know a shoe exists? These sites have the shoes up months before release and even gives us insight before any official word or confirmation is made. And many reputable sites use their images. Why? Because they are real. Greg market or not. Nike won't say anything. Why? They get free marketing and promo! Priceless! Notice.....these sites do not get all of the shoes, especially not the extreme limited....but they do get the majority. Greg market, real Greg market are the same in store shoes.

 

[Bert.]

is there any way to scan the barcode inside of shoes aside from taking it to the store?

 

[Bert.]

also exactly, i dont think any of these legit/reputable blogs would be using these pics and advertising these sites if they were selling fake items. you cant call the shoe fake if they are 100% identical. only problem is SOME of these pairs are terribly put together but the same can be said for retail pairs sold online/instore

 

[jacksodk]

also exactly, i dont think any of these legit/reputable blogs would be using these pics and advertising these sites if they were selling fake items. you cant call the shoe fake if they are 100% identical. only problem is SOME of these pairs are terribly put together but the same can be said for retail pairs sold online/instore

Exactly. Hell. Some grades look better than the actual A grade. So why can't the grey market pairs? They do!

 

[Undefined]

is there any way to scan the barcode inside of shoes aside from taking it to the store?

Can't you use bar code scanner apps on iphones or android?

 

[Bert.]

is there any way to scan the barcode inside of shoes aside from taking it to the store?

Can't you use bar code scanner apps on iphones or android?

99% sure that only scans the barcode on the outside of the box

quote me if im wrong but the barcode on the inside of the shoe is different

 

[Bert.]

also exactly, i dont think any of these legit/reputable blogs would be using these pics and advertising these sites if they were selling fake items. you cant call the shoe fake if they are 100% identical. only problem is SOME of these pairs are terribly put together but the same can be said for retail pairs sold online/instore

Exactly. Hell. Some grades look better than the actual A grade. So why can't the grey market pairs? They do!

just like slam magazine was posting pictures of some shoes a few weeks back and post a link directly to the early release/grey market site

all other sites are doing it as well.

you guys can buy all the shoes you want and compare them and you will see these def arent fakes, will some of them be sloppy with some errors? hell yea but a lot arent . these shoes all use real materials, air bags, insoles, leather, etc, etc

the only ones that look like complete crap and might look different are very early production run pairs.