First off, lemme just say, spotting a fake Yeezy? It’s an art, man. Like, you gotta be a sneaker Sherlock Holmes. I read this article somewhere, or maybe it was a Reddit thread, about how to tell. They were saying to look for the Adidas logo, like, if it’s too big, BAM! Fake. Or the inside label, something about “Made in…” and if it’s wrong, you’re screwed. Honestly, I’d probably still get fooled. I mean, they’re getting *good*.
And that’s what people were saying too. One dude, wearing what I *suspect* were questionable Jordans (don’t tell him I said that), was like, “Yo, the fakes are almost identical now. Unless you’re, like, a serious collector, you probably can’t tell.” He’s kinda got a point. I mean, who’s gonna be pulling out a magnifying glass to check the Primeknit weave on someone’s shoe on the subway? That’s just weird.
Then I asked this woman, super fashionable, looked like she actually *owned* real Yeezys (or at least knew someone who did). She just gave me this look, like I’d asked her if she picked her nose in public. “It’s tacky,” she said, and walked away. End of discussion. Harsh, but fair? Maybe.
The whole thing got me thinking, though. What’s the big deal about wearing fake Yeezys anyway? Is it some cardinal sin against sneaker culture? I mean, I get it, you’re not supporting the artist, and you’re maybe perpetuating the whole knock-off industry, which is probably bad for… somebody. But honestly, if you can’t afford the real deal, and you like the style, who am I to judge?
Plus, let’s be real, some of these real Yeezys are, like, offensively priced. I saw one pair going for, like, a grand. A *grand*! For shoes! I could pay rent with that! So, yeah, I kinda get why people go the fake route.
But then there’s the whole “flexing” aspect. Like, you’re trying to pretend you’re something you’re not, and that’s kinda… sad? I dunno. This is where it gets messy. It’s a complicated issue, see? No easy answers.
And, of course, there’s the Stormzy incident. Remember that? This whole internet pile-on because some people *thought* he was wearing fake Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga 2.0s? Like, come on! Leave the man alone. What if they were real? What if he just liked the look? Who died and made internet commentators the Yeezy Police? It was ridiculous.
