Fake Sneakers are a Huge Business - But Buyers Face Risks

Sneaker cult models can cost four-digit sums. Many people therefore resort to much cheaper copies. But that can be dangerous. By Goran Marković-Schomburg, Immo Mäueler and Lilli-Marie Hiltscher, WDR Expensive Original or cheap replica? For Christopher Blumenthal, this question is actually quite easy to answer. The sneaker fan founded "Dead Stock" in 2013, a sneaker blog with which he made his passion into a profession. But he also bought fake sneakers: "I remember a situation where I exchanged an Asics from my collection for a Yeezy 700." Without looking at the shoe properly, he simply packed it to his collection. "Then it turned out: This was actually a fake." The fact that he did not immediately notice that the shoe is a fake is mainly due to the fact that these replicated models are getting better and better, as he says in the current episode of the ARD format ECHT?: "I would argue that the fake market is now so professional that even experienced collectors no longer correctly recognize whether the shoe is real or fake." 40 euros instead of 1,000 euros? This is what makes the fakes so attractive. If it is no longer noticeable whether the Chanel sneaker cost 40 euros or in the original a four-digit sum, then more and more people resort to fakes. Studies show that fake shopping is no longer a marginal phenomenon: Already in 2023, 34 percent of respondents said in a survey by the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) that they knowingly bought a counterfeit product. Especially social media fuels the hype about fake brand products additionally. On TikTok and in Telegram groups, a very own market has emerged. Members give each other tips on the latest fake hypes. The ECHT editorial team became a member of such a Telegram group with over 30,000 members for the research itself. Here are shared daily links to trendy fake sneakers. They lead, for example, to the marketplace app "Hacoo", on which numerous, mainly Chinese retailers offer replicated luxury products. If you install the app, you can order models from Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior or limited Nike sneakers with just a few clicks - often for just 40 euros including shipping, while the original on resale markets easily costs 1,000 euros. In addition to such groups, many influencers and content creators also advertise fake goods. They introduce so-called spreadsheets: These are publicly available tables that are structured like sales catalogues, explains the sneaker expert Blumenthal. There, buyers can directly select sneakers, designer watches or clothing and are forwarded to the respective manufacturer or agent. On platforms such as OOPBUY, SUPERBUY or ACBUY, replicas can be ordered via such spreadsheets. Since many of these platforms do not deliver directly to Europe, shopping agents take on the role of intermediaries. There are also very rare models such as the Jordan 4 "OFF WHITE" or the "Union - Guava Ice" as fakes - for less than 100 dollars, while originals are traded on the net with more than 6,000 euros. "Damaging the reputation of our brand" At the request of the ECHT editorial team on how to deal with this, Nike does not comment. Adidas writes in a statement: Adidas rigorously protects and defends its trademark rights; We focus on dealers and importers of counterfeit products as well as so-called fake shops. For this, they are also working closely with competent authorities, as counterfeits "could consist of inferior or even health-threatening materials". “They damage the reputation of our brand, our partners and our employees who work tirelessly to research and develop technical innovation and creative design.” Possession is not punishable in Germany Who buys such products, moves purely legally in Germany in a grey area: For private use, possession and purchase is usually not punishable. It becomes problematic in the trade: There is a threat of confiscation, destruction of the goods and civil proceedings by brand owners such as Nike or Adidas. In practice, "fake buyers" - purely statistically speaking - should not have much to fear. Around 5.9 billion parcels with a low value of goods arrived in the European Union in 2025, which is around 16 million shipments per day. Given these figures, it is clear that few shipments are actually controlled by customs. In addition to China, Turkey is an important hotspot for the production of counterfeit branded products. About 12 percent of all plagiarism comes from Turkey. In Istanbul, one of the largest textile metropolises in Europe, a look into the shop windows full of cheap sneakers is often enough to find fake sneakers. Sellers speak of the "Turkish original". Emre is one of those bazaar sellers. He says that they also get visits from trademark lawyers and the police: The lawyers of the brand manufacturers come and check what is sold. If they find something, take it with them and call the police. Cheap shopping in Istanbul? Fakes are ubiquitous in Turkey because they are also produced locally, such as in a factory outside Istanbul. There it smells intensely like glue, everywhere are boxes, doors and grids, the atmosphere is depressed. A producer openly admits: The white sneaker is a fake. I produced it. When asked why her goods are so cheap, she answers: It is only a small material and quality difference. The glues last just as long as the original. In the end, this shoe costs at the bazaar in the Turkish main..