How To Spot Fake Yeezy Boost 350 V1

The Yeezy 350 V1 sneakers released years ago, however, they remain quite popular. Therefore, the number of replicas being produced is still high and it is very likely to come across a fake. This is why we decided to write an authentication guide for you.

This is a universal guide, which means you can apply the following methods for almost all Yeezy 350 V1 versions. However, it may not include every flaw found in replicas, as there are countless fakes on the market. Of course, it is always better to get your shoes professionally authenticated, and for this reason we offer you our legit check services. Live chat with our team of experts and get a quick and detailed explanation on why we think your shoes are real or fake, along with a unique authenticity certificate. 

To make the guide more comprehensive, we provide real VS fake Yeezy 350 V1 comparisons including the most popular colorways of this model — Turtle Dove, Pirate Black and Oxford Tan — so we strongly advise you to look at the pictures for reference.

• Examine the shape of the outer side
• Analyze the inner side
• Verify the pattern around the middle stitching
• Check the heel pattern
• Authenticate the pull tab and the sock liner
• Inspect the YZY logo patch
• Look at the Trefoil logo patch 
• Pay attention to the size tag
• Move on to the insole
• Finish by authenticating the Boost sole

The Outer Side Shape Method

First thing you should notice is the overall shape of your sneakers. The authentic Yeezy 350 V1 has a very unique shape that not many replica manufacturers get right. It has a subtle curve which is especially noticeable when looking at the sole, specifically the heel and the toe box area. When the shoe is placed on a flat surface, both ends of the sole should be lifted off the ground. For better understanding, let’s take a look at the comparisons.

The fake Yeezy 350 V1 Turtle Dove seems to have a correct curved shape, but the toe box is not curved enough and overall looks more deflated. Looking at the heel, you can notice that it also has more of a straight line shape.

The Pirate Black colorway also maintains a pretty accurate shape, except for the toe box, which has a more blunt, “crocodile” shape.

There is not much to say about the Oxford Tan, except for the heel, which looks taller and less curvy.

The Inner Side Method

For the second method you have to examine the inner side of the shoe. As we discussed in our previous method, the overall shape matters a lot. However, there is one more element that comes into play, and that is the suede patch. We will focus on it in depth later, but for now let’s verify only the size, shape and placing of it.

Also Read: Yeezy 350 V2 Legit Check

The fake Turtle Dove pair has its toe box too curved. The suede patch is too small and has a wrong shape. 

The replica Pirate Black pair, on the opposite, has its suede patch way too big. It is also misplaced, judging by how close it is to the sock liner.

Finally, in both replicas the shoe laces seem too thick.

The Middle Stitching Method

The middle stitching method is a little tricky as it requires you to mostly focus on the pattern around the stitch on the toe box. The toe box pattern, however, differs even in the authentic pairs, based on the size of the shoe. But do not worry, there is a way you can legit check Yeezy 350 V1 pattern by just one detail.

In general the toe box pattern curves towards the middle stitching. This detail is actually very important, especially in the Turtle Dove colorways, because the pattern on them is very visible unlike in the other colorways. So, if the pattern on your sneakers is straight and does not curve towards the middle stitch, you are probably looking at a fake. You should also pay attention to the size of each line and make sure the lines are not too thin or too thick.

The Heel Method

Next on our list we have the heel. Most of the manufacturers make mistakes here, especially in the pattern and the stitching of the pull tab. In general, the authentic pattern should be, yet again, more smooth and slightly curved towards the middle stitch.

The Turtle Dove pair shows it the most, because here the pattern contrasts a lot with the material. Here the lines are more vertical.

On the replica Pirate Black the main issue is the middle stitching, which seems to be misplaced, as well as the red stitching on the pull tab. The pull tab stitching is shorter and thinner.

As for the Oxford Tan, here the colors of both the pull tab and the sock liner are completely wrong. You can notice how in the authentic they are much lighter.

The Pull Tab and Sock Liner Method

The main thing to be aware of with the sockliner is that it should not be too high or too low. However, it may sometimes be hard to determine, because sock liners vary even in authentic pairs. Probably the most foolproof way to authenticate the sockliner is by examining its shape. On fake pairs it is usually somewhat angular, whereas the authentics have it more round.

The pull tab follows the same general rule: it should be neither too small nor too big. The stitches should be accurate, matching in color and shape to the original. 

The Turtle Dove has one additional flaw with the pattern. The lines are too thick, and overlap with the design of the sock liner.

This particular Pirate Black pair has its sockliner too curved compared to the authentic pair, which immediately gives it away as a counterfeit. Not only that, but it has the same problem with the red stitching on the pull tab, which we previously discussed.

The Oxford Tan, yet again, does not have such major flaws, however, it does have some incorrect stitching on the sock liner. The stitching is too wide, and the threads are the wrong color.

The YZY Logo Patch Method

For this method let’s look at the suede YZY logo patch. We have already verified it in one of the previous methods, but right now we advise you to focus on the quality of the suede, the stitching and the logo. 

The suede patch should be properly cut and evenly sized on both the left and the right shoe. The stitching should be accurate. The logo should be perfectly stamped, legible and centered on the patch without any misplacement.

The Turtle Dove pair, right off the bat, has a wrong shape. It is too curved on the left side and not curved enough on the right side. Not only that, but the YZY logo is off-centered and looks crooked.

The fake Yeezy 350 V1 Pirate Black here has even more flaws. Not only is it too big and with uneven shape, but the logo is also off-centered.

The Trefoil Logo Patch Method

Coming up next is the suede Trefoil logo patch. Same things that we mentioned in the previous method also apply here, because these two elements should be practically identical except for the stamped logo. However, we would like to add that the color of the patch can vary even on good replicas, and that can be a good indicator of a fake item.

For example, this Pirate Black colorway sneaker has its suede patch more green in comparison to the authentic, where the patch is very dark green, so much that it appears to be black under certain lighting. The logo is also completely misplaced and poorly stamped.

The Oxford Tan has similar problems with the color. Here the fake one is too dark, and slightly bigger in size. 

The Size Tag Method

The size tag is one of the most important elements in determining the authenticity of any sneakers, so we will point out a few elements of the size tag that will help you with Yeezy 350 V1 authentication.

For starters, the font of the fake tag is too thick overall. It is especially noticeable on the bottom text and the “US” text. Not only that, but the straight lines in general are fuzzier in the fake Yeezy 350 V1 pairs due to bad quality of printing.

Also, please note that the authentic Turtle Dove pairs only come in full US sizes, so any half sizes are fake. 

The Insole Method

One of our last methods for today is the insole method. Here we will specifically focus on the Adidas logo.

Firstly, notice that the pattern around the logo is different. The authentic insole has a honeycomb pattern, in which every detail is defined and every honeycomb has a distinct shape. The fake shoe has a dot pattern with smudged shapes. However, the pattern differs from pair to pair, so there are authentic pairs that have the dot pattern. Let’s look at two more elements to be sure.

Secondly, inspect the letters of the Adidas logo. They should also have distinct shapes with defined borders. The replica, however, has less defined letters, which is especially noticeable by looking at the letter “A”.

Finally, pay attention to the ® trademark symbol. Not only is it smaller than it needs to be on the fake pair, but it also has the same problem with borders. 

The Boost Sole Method

As for the Boost sole, the main things to note here are the shape of the sole, the Boost lettering and the texture.

First of all, the shape of the Boost sole should be curvier and more rounded. As seen on the fake VS real Yeezy 350 V1 comparison below, the fake sole actually has much straighter shape.

Next up is the font of the Boost logo. The lettering on the fake shoe is bigger and taller, and not squeezed in enough, which makes it appear less legible. The authentic logo is slightly smaller, shorter, and, of course, perfectly visible. 

Now, let’s look at a different example, where we can see the texture of the sole better.

The texture of the authentic sole here is more distinct. You can see individual lines and shapes of the sole, whereas on the fake shoe they look more smudged. Not only that, but the fake has overall rounder shapes. You should also pay attention to the Boost dots, which in the authentic are smaller, more defined and placed further apart. 

The Bottom Line

This is the end of our guide. We hope it was useful for you!

Need your pair of sneakers professionally authenticated by our team? Just let us know! We provide quick and reliable Yeezy 350 V1 legit check services all around the world.

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