Nike Air Jordans

In order to keep their shoes in demand and command a high dollar the Air Jordan brand only releases shoes once a year. With a low supply and a high demand Nike ensures their shoes become collectors items. Air Jordans are still as popular now as they were when its namesake - Michael Jordan - played basketball. His shoes are rare and they are definitely collectors items which has caused the inevitable - people are creating cheap fakes in order to sell knock offs of the famous running shoe.

There are a number of ways to spot a cheap imitation Air Jordan - let's take a look at them;

The Shoe Materials

The most noticeable difference between authentic Air Jordans and the imitation Air Jordan sneakers is the plastic used. If you are buying a pair of Nike sneakers notice that the imitations use cheap plastic which is not as hard and durable as the one used in the original version. The imitation's plastic will come apart after a short period of time and even faster if you use them to play basketball. When you play a fast paced game like basketball you will test the workmanship and durability of the sneakers. Nike sneakers where specifically manufactured for Michael Jordan to use and they had to perform at his level - a level much greater than any one else.

Air Jordan Availability and Price

As mentioned the Nike Air Jordan division only releases the sneakers on a specific date of the year thus keeping a low supply in high demand. Therefor the amount of Air Jordans available will not be great and if you find a site online offering thousands of these shoes then you know you are dealing with replicas. Especially if they are selling them at a very low price. When these sneakers go on sale their prices range between $50 and $70 but can be as high as $300 like the Air Jordan III.

Photo: Air Jordan Miro

Of course the easiest way to spot a fake is when they use the term replica in the sales copy. If you have bought shoes online then you have probably come across fakes at one time or another. It is common to hear about replicas in the handbag and purse industry and it is now becoming the norm in the footwear industry.

As the saying goes - buyer beware.

Authentic Bape Crepes Shoes

One of the hottest trends in fashion is the emergence of Bape shoes and hoodies. If you haven't heard of Bapes then let us fill you in before your teenagers do. Bapes is short for Bathing Ape - a brand of clothing and footware developed by a Japanese designer known as Nigo. (Nee-go). Full name Tomoaki Nagao has designed a line of fashion that is becoming increasingly hard to get your hands on simply because the supply is limited and the demand is huge.

Wholesale Bapes consist of everything from clothing to haircuts and fast food joints. The success of this young entrepreneur is a direct result of his unique marketing technique. Nigo turned this brand into a hot-seller based on exclusivity. A Bape customer can only purchase one product at a time and the product must fit the buyer - no purchasing for others.

From clothes Nigo went into the shoes arena using a clone version of Nikes most popular brands. They became instant hits with the youngsters. They are brightly colored and non-conformist, which may be why it has caught the attention of the young generation. Rappers like Cassidy & Pharell, Jay-Z and others have been seen wearing Bapes and instantly became sought out by the entire young hip-hop crowd. This heightened demand has decreased the availability of wholesale Bapes and prices have soared with the growth in demand.

One of the hardest to get products is an authentic Bape Crepes shoe. The images below show the style of this shoe;



Nigo and Bathing Ape have taken the basic Puma "Clyde" shoe in a different direction. The Bape Crepe much like the Bape Sta 1 is done with a low top and similar outsole, a rich suede upper and they come pre-packed with fat laces. Just what the youngsters ordered. The only downside is that they are not yet available in two of the largest markets; New York and London. Plans are underway to make them available shortly but you can bet they won't last long.