Looking through factory brand shoes can be baffling. There seem to be hundreds of designer labels there. The prices, however, don’t seem to reflect their worth. It is possible to locate the real deal among the merchandise with a little knowledge and skepticism.

Once you’ve spotted the pair you’d like to see in your closet, don’t even fit them before giving them a thorough once over. It’s all in the details. Authentic high fashion brands are sewn, not glued, so if you see any adhesive lingering around the seams or soles, you’ve found a counterfeit.

If you locate a label that’s placed at a slant or untidily tacked, it’s not the work of the perfectionists who work for fashion houses. Some counterfeits change the logo in small ways. Give the logo a good study too.

A factory shop that deals in genuine labels tends to sell these exclusively. If you walk into a store carrying a wide variety of different items, such as plastic sandals, fabrics and branded shoes, you’re not in the right place. Those who carry the real deal are proud of what they keep.

Scam artists are often cunning. They have all kinds of excuses as to why their stock isn’t consistent with well known designers‘. Here are the lies you should watch out for.

The genuine article will always have a label. Some store owners will excuse their dearth by saying the items are directly off the production line. This simply never happens. Some will say they took the labels off. This is another lie, since it would be completely nonsensical to devalue stock this way.

Another common sign is being told that those pumps you desire are a sample. Samples are always labeled as such. Yet another indicator is being informed that label absence is to discourage returns. Specialist companies prioritize customer satisfaction by encouraging returns. Beware of attached price tags citing original store prices which appear to be unrealistic. Sellers of counterfeits often use inflated retail prices as a sales trick.

High end fashion houses now place indicators on their products that prove they are genuine. Find out what these hallmarks are. Some are printed dates while some are serial numbers, for example.

If the label says ‚Made in China‘ it’s counterfeit. No designer product is made in any Asian country. They are usually carefully put together by a skillful artisan in Europe.

If you have investigative skills, you might research the shipping costs of the store you visit. Transportation from Asia is pricey. Most scam artists have become savvy about covering this trail, while some have not.

Selling fake labels is criminal. Buying counterfeit products is financing this crime and even encourages the existence of sweat shops. It simultaneously takes advantage of the hard work and talent involved in designing and piecing together the genuine article. You can participate in fighting this practice by taking care when shopping for factory brand shoes.

You found a pair of shoes at the local SHOES CLEARANCE and now you’re wondering if they are real. Many factory brand shoes are sold at discount prices, so they are more than likely real.