It’s safe to say that sacai and Nike’s LDWaffle is one of the best sneakers to drop in recent years. The shoe is nothing like Nike have ever made before. Combining two classic Nike silhouettes, the Waffle Runner and the Daybreak, the sneaker was one of the most hyped drops of 2019. Dropping in a number of colours, we’re taking a closer look at the “Green Gusto” version for the latest episode of Real vs Fake.
Retailing at around £139 a pair, the original “Green Gusto” Nike sacai LDWaffle now resells for up to three or four times the price. As sacai x Nike collaborations go, it’s safe to say that this original colourway is one of the best of the bunch. As we have seen from last week’s drop, sacai x Nike collaborations can cause as much hype as a Yeezy or Travis Scott release. Although this is a good thing for sneakerheads, it’s a bad thing when it comes to replicators producing fake Nikes.
The sneaker has only grown in hype and demand, leading to a slurry of replica pairs beginning to hit the market. If you are a sneakerhead, knowing how to tell fake sneakers is a key tool for you to learn. Here at KLEKT, we’ve seen a steady rise of fake sacai Nike’s come through our authentication lab, so we thought it was about time to teach you how to spot fake sacai x Nike LDWaffles.
The Test
In the image below, one of the sacai x Nike LDWaffle “Green Gusto” sneakers is real and one is fake. Without any help, we want you to pick which you think is the real sacai and which is the fake sacai.
The Price
As with all of our fake education guides, we like to talk about the price being able to determine the authenticity of a shoe. With this being one of the original sacai x Nike LDWaffles, it has a high resell price. We already mentioned that the sacai x Nikes have a retail price of £139/€160. However, the reselling price on the “Green Gusto” starts at €480; almost three times the retail price.
One of the quickest way to tell a fake pair of sneakers is the price. A seller may have the item listed at either way below retail or below the secondary market value. Whilst it may not always help, it can definitely give you a good sense of whether or not the shoe is fake. Remember, if it’s too good to be true then it is!
The Reveal
If you said the top shoe was in fact the real sacai x Nike LDWaffle “Green Gusto” then congratulations…you were right! This is the authentic of Sacai Nike LDV Waffle in the classic “Green Gusto” colourway. If you said the pair on the bottom was the authentic shoe, don’t worry. We’ll teach you the differences and explain what to look out for going forward. Let’s take a look at how to spot fake Nike Sacai Waffles.
The Packaging
Before we even have to take a look at what’s inside the box, the packaging can give you a good perspective on whether a shoe is real or fake. This particular fake had a big flaw when it came to the tissue paper, something we spotted very quickly.
The paper in the box of the fake is printed slightly faded and not as black as the real. The paper is also ripped on the fake sacais and not on the real and, considering this is a brand new shoe, it should not be like this.
The Upper
One of the biggest giveaways on pretty much all fake Nike shoes is the quality of the upper. on this particular shoe, there are a number of key factors to look out for. We’ll outline just what they are below so you know just what to look for if you want to know how to spot fake Sacai Waffles.
The Stitching
This is one of the tougher ones to spot, but if you take a closer look at the yellow suede underneath the mesh there are a couple of discrepancies on the fake sacais. Although its a tough spot, the yellow under layer on the lace section doesn’t show the stitching towards the bottom area on the fake. However, you can see the stitching throughout the entirety on the real.
The stitching also changes at the bottom of the lace section on this shoe, with the rectangle stitching section is too close to the laces on the fake in comparison to the real.
The Colour
Without a doubt, one of the easiest things to spot when comparing real and fake Nike Sacais is the overall quality of the colouring. Fake Nike Sacai Waffle replicators tend to make the colours slightly too dark compared to the authentic pairs. It’s one of the easiest things to look out for if you want to know how to spot fake Sacais.
The Mesh
This is a tougher one to notice but you will be able to tell the difference when compared to the real thing. The mesh used on fake pairs has a completely different feel to the mesh on genuine Sacais. The quality of the holes is also one to look out for, with the fake Sacais having slightly bigger individual holes.
The Heel
We’ll go into a more detailed explanation from the points made above here, explaining each along the way.
Another element that fake Sacai Nike Waffles have not yet managed to grasp is the heel area of the shoe. There are a number of giveaways to look out for and we’ll explain what they are here.
The Colour
The yellow patch on the heel is much darker on the fake pair of sacais, a simple detail but one that definitely shows when looking at the shoe in person. Also, the stitching is too dark in comparison to the real.
The Logo
When taking a closer look at the logo on the fake Nike sacais, the differences really begin to show. The logo of the fake isn’t as defined, something that we spotted fairly quickly. Furthermore, you can see that the ‘I’ is too thick in comparison to the real.
The UV Test
If you’ve been following us for a while then you know what’s coming next. As with all of our Real vs Fake guides, we’re finishing things off with the infamous UV test. UV light is a great way to determine the authenticity of any pair of sneakers. It picks up things that the human eye would struggle to see. Here at KLEKT, we could not recommend getting a UV light more!
You can see that under UV light a number of differences show up. Firstly, the Nike Swoosh on the tongue lights up on the real but does not on the fake. Secondly, stitching marks are also visible on the tongue of the fake shoe but not on the real. Finally, the grey Swoosh edge lights up white on the fake but does not on the real shoe.
Recap
If you’ve been wondering how to spot fake Nike Sacai’s, then all you need to do is remember the points below:
- The Price – if it’s too good to be true, that usually means that it is!
- The Packaging – make sure that the tissue paper isn’t too faded and that it isn’t ripped if its brand new
- The Upper – check that the yellow suede doesn’t show the stitching towards the laces and the side panel. Also, make sure that the toe section isn’t too close to the laces
- The Heel – look at the cut as well as the material used. Most fakes use synthetic leather which has been poorly cut and stitched. Check out for the logos on the heel too, they should have a gloss finish and not too matte.
- The UV Test – check that the Swoosh on the tongue lights up orange on the real but doesn’t on the fake, also check that there are no stitching marks
Final Thoughts
We hope that this guide on how to spot fake Sacai Nike Waffles. If you are wondering how so many fake Sacais pop up, or even people are looking at where to buy fake Nike Sacais, then hopefully this guide has helped. Nike x Sacai collaborations will be one of the most hyped relationships in sneakers for years to come. People often wonder where to buy fake Nikes or where to buy fake Sacais, and there’s really no need to. With Sacai Nike Blazers also beginning to pop up, avoid all the hassle and buy direct from KLEKT!
KLEKT guarantees authenticity on every purchase. Our dedicated team of authenticators will ensure that you get a legit product whatever it is. If you are looking to buy some new Nike Sacais then head over to the store now. We have every pair of Sacai x Nike LDWaffle available at a great price.
