How to tell if sneakers are fake when you buy them on Facebook Marketplace

The photos to ask for before you meet

A good fake can pass a glance at a listing photo, so ask for more before you drive across town. This set is also what a legit check app needs, so you can run a first check from home:

• both shoes side by side, from the outside
• the size tag inside each shoe, flat and in focus
• the label on the end of the box, if there is one
• the insoles taken out, and the stitching underneath
• both outsoles, the heels from behind, and the toe box from the side

Ask for one shot with today’s date on a note beside the pair, which proves the photos aren’t lifted from a resale site. A seller who won’t send a clear photo of the size tag has answered your question.

Match the style code on the box and the tag

Nike, Jordan, Adidas and most big brands print a style code on the size tag inside each shoe (usually behind the tongue or on the inner wall) and on the label at the end of the box. On Nike and Jordan pairs it is two groups joined by a dash, and the three digits after the dash stand for the colourway.

1. Read both size tags. The left and right codes should match.
2. Read the box label. Same code, and the same size as the tags.
3. Search the code. Retailer and resale sites should show the same model in the same colourway.

A mismatch is a strong warning: a fake, or a real pair in someone else’s box. A match proves much less, because counterfeiters copy codes and print convincing boxes. In fiscal 2025, US Customs and Border Protection seized 4,206,696 counterfeit packaging items and boxes and 822,653 counterfeit labels and tags. Use the code to rule a pair out, never in.

What to check in person

Save the brand’s or a big reseller’s photos of the exact colourway on your phone and compare side by side, because the difference is often a few millimetres of shape. Look at:

• the toe box height, the heel curve and the side profile (fakes often sit chunky, or flat at the toe)
• stitching that should run evenly in straight rows, with no doubled-back threads on a “new” pair
• every logo’s placement and proportions, including the tongue label and the heel
• the outsole tread and stamps, the insole print and the size tag text, which should all be crisp

Glue smears where the upper meets the sole and a strong chemical smell are common on fakes, but new real pairs can show both, so treat them as clues. Meta’s own advice is to inspect items in person “to make sure that they are real” before you pay.

Be wary of model-specific checklists. Details like a Jordan 1 wings logo change from batch to batch as factories correct them, so a two-year-old guide can pass this year’s fake. Reference photos and a paid check hold up better.

Words in a listing that mean fake

Sellers of fakes rarely write “fake”. They use shorthand that sneaker buyers recognise:

• “UA” or “unauthorized authentic” means a fake with a story about the real factory (Under Armour is also UA, so read on)
• “reps”, “replica”, “1:1”, “mirror”, “top quality” and “AAA” all mean a copy
• “inspired”, “B grade” and “factory variant” say the same thing more softly
• every size in stock at one round price points to a stockist

“No box” on a hyped, nearly new pair deserves a second look, though plenty of sellers write it on worn everyday pairs too. Meta’s Commerce Policies ban the sale of counterfeits, so a listing that admits to being a replica can be reported.

Price is the fastest tell

Check what the exact model and size actually sold for: eBay’s sold listings and the resale apps show it. A hyped pair, one that resells above retail, listed far under resale is the classic lure. Meta tells buyers to be cautious of listings “significantly underpriced compared to market value”, which scammers use to sell defective or fake items.

Price cuts both ways: general releases often sell used below retail, and some fakes are priced just under market to look believable. Compare like with like, too: GS (grade school), PS (preschool) and TD (toddler) are kids’ sizes and sell for less. See fair prices on Marketplace.

Get a legit check before you pay

For a hyped pair, or any pair you’d hate to lose the money on, a photo legit check costs less than a coffee.

At a local meetup:

1. Tell the seller in advance that you’ll run a check before paying. Someone with a real pair has no reason to object.
2. Take the photos the app asks for, in good light.
3. Pick the fastest check and wait about 10 minutes.
4. Pay once the result says authentic.

A verdict is an expert opinion under the app’s own terms, and Nike and Adidas don’t stand behind it, so read what the app promises if it gets an expensive pair wrong.

How to meet and pay for sneakers

Meet somewhere busy and well lit, such as a safe exchange zone, and try the pair on, since sizing differs between models. Pay after the check, in person, with cash or a tap. Meta’s advice is plain: “Never pay for an item in advance.” A deposit sent by Zelle, e-transfer, gift card or PayPal friends and family is very hard to get back. Compare Marketplace payment methods, and see why Goods and Services matters for PayPal on Marketplace.

If the pair has to ship, keep the deal on Facebook checkout. Purchase Protection covers eligible shipped orders that arrive “different than described”, but not local pickups or deals done in Messenger. See buyer protection on Marketplace and shipping scams.

What to do if you bought fake sneakers

1. Keep everything. Screenshot the listing before it disappears, and save the messages and the seller’s profile link.
2. Get a legit check if you haven’t, so you have a verdict in writing.
3. Report the listing and the seller from the ••• menu on each.
4. Claim or dispute. Paid through Facebook checkout with shipping? Open a Purchase Protection claim and say exactly how the pair differs from the listing. Paid by card or PayPal Goods and Services? Open a dispute with them.
5. Report fraud if you paid cash or by transfer and the seller has gone quiet. Our guide on what to do if you were scammed covers where.

Where Sift helps

Sift is a free browser extension for Facebook Marketplace: no account, it works right in Chrome (also Edge and Brave) on a computer, and it takes a minute to set up. It clears the obvious problems off the page, and the real-or-fake check stays with you, at the meetup.

Block words, in Sift’s settings, hides listings that use a word you add, without catching longer words that merely contain it. A sneaker set: rep, reps, replica, 1:1, mirror, AAA, inspired, unauthorized authentic, top quality, B grade. Add UA only if you aren’t shopping Under Armour, and GS and TD if you want adult sizes only. The pill in the corner counts what was hidden; click it to see each listing and why. More in excluding words on Marketplace.

On the listings that stay:

• Very low price appears when a pair is priced far below similar listings, so search the specific model for a fair comparison
• Pay first, Payment type, Off-site contact and Seller away quote the seller’s own words, as the scam checker shows
• Receipt and Original box good signs only repeat the seller’s claim, and fakes come with both
• Search by image opens Google Lens on the photo, which can find the same picture on a resale site, and Sold on eBay shows real prices
• the Reposted badge and price history show pairs that keep coming back
• Is this a good deal? gives an AI second opinion on the listing: a verdict such as “Be careful with this one”, the reasons, a fair offer and a message to the seller ready to copy

Hide shipped and partner listings and set a distance limit to keep to pairs you can inspect. Then open a search for a model and size and press Watch in Sift: it lets you know when a new pair is posted, on your computer or, with Sift Pro, on your phone. See new listing alerts. Buying a bag too? See fake designer bags.