It’s a very well known fact that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With that said, it can also be the worst nightmare as well. In this case, we are talking about counterfeiting. As in, stealing intellectual property, and making money off of someone elses hard work, and effort. Being a shoe collector, or “sneakerhead”, as the mainstream has coined it, we are all too aware of the fake shoe business.
Most of us, have came across a pair or two, perhaps in our early days of collecting, or maybe a friend came bragging about a pair of kicks he just copped, for an insane deal (or not), in which you had to be the bearer of bad news. Well, for the longest time, our Vans community has been pretty much left alone in this area of sneaker collecting. A popular reason that there is in fact, a Vans collector community, is that there are pretty much no bootleggers out there to infect our culture. We’ve been pretty fortunate to fly under the radar, and collect our limited, and rare exclusive Vans shoes for so long, without worrying about such a thing.
Collaborations with popular skateboard shops, like Supreme, HUF, In4mation, DQM, KicksHI, Active, and tons more, are not reserved just for the big name sneaker companies. These same companies, who are well known for releasing some major sneaker collaborations, are equally known for their Vans releases, which keep us collectors on our toes.
Sure, the Vans Authentic, and Era, are a widely used shoe style, for many low-end brands, but those brands are in no way trying to step on the authentic Vans styling, and name. Luckily, the counterfeiting seems to be in it’s infancy stage, and they can be spotted from a mile away, but this is just a friendly reminder that no company is safe! With popularity, comes the wannabes. It’s life, and you just gotta stay sharp, and keep bringing it to everyone’s attention. Call b.s. on them! Our forums will be a good place to notify fellow enthusiasts, or to ask for “legit checks” on shoes that you’re uncertain about. We have to protect the sneaker community as a whole, and it all starts with communication. Please spread the word about us, and keep up to date on all Vans info here. We’ll try to stay as current as possible, and remember, this site is still privately ran, and it’s pretty much still just a hobby.
Thanks for reading this, and check out some pics after the jump, of some fake Vans shoes, starting to show up on eBay! Peace! -Guamstyles
pics courtesy of eBay fakes seller: superspark20092009
more pics from eBay, after the jump
