Sneakersin.com

Now I'm not saying that buying fakes is right by any means, but just picking here...
What's so wrong with buying fakes? When I buy a fresh pair of Nike's is it because I want to support Nike as a company? No, not really, it's just because I want a dope pair of shoes. Companies like Nike have some of the worst production morals in the world. This is well documented and really not up for debate. If I'm buying fakes, I'd bet (although I could be wrong) that more money is going to whoever is actually making the shoes, as opposed to some fat cat sitting behind a desk in New York, padding his kids trust funds. For smaller brands and niche companies, I'm more than happy to support them. And for when I'm concerned with actual performance, you bet I'm making sure it's the real deal. But if I found out a pair of dunks I bought was fake, I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
I guess what I'm asking here is what's your reasoning on this one? I'm all ears, and simply looking for a legit argument as to why buying fakes is actually bad.
 
I know from experience that buying fakes is an awful idea.

During my early sneakerhead phase, i was naive and bought a pair of super expensive sb dunks for like 80 bucks, i thought it was a steal and didn't know any better.

They fell apart within a few weeks. I like people on ns, so i don't want them wasting their money.

Also when you buy fake shoes, your supporting an illegal black market, which most likely has little to no standards in terms of worker's rights, since its probably just some shitty sweatshop in bangledesh. Nike may also have sweatshops, but i'm pretty sure that an illegal goods sweatshop is gonna be a little more dungeon-like.

 
Fakes are made from low quality materials and technology, thats why they fall apart, shitty glue and so on. whoever said buying fakes wasnt all that bad obviously hasnt seen a gnarly pair of fakes, or the shit holes they sell them in. to put this in perspective, imagine someone was making knockoff salomons. now, salomon is a huge company and doesnt need the support of a few kids (much like nike...) however if someone was making fake salomons with shitty materials in order to cut costs, then advertised them on here, half the site would flip a shit on the guy. the only reason i can comprehend buying fakes is to put them in some case and not wear them, because you're probably going to trash them real fast if you actually use them as shoes.

 
youd never buy fakes to display them. anyone serious enough to display their shoes will know a fake is fake hence ruining their image as a sneakerhead.
 
exactly, do you think that people making fake shoes have any better working conditions? No they have worse.

i love these people that dont buy nike to make a stance. if you're going to do that, dont buy Adidas, rebook, target, walmart, and every other brand in the world
 
45% of New Balance shoes are made in the good ol' US. They also have factories in England. haha i work for New Balance so i had to throw that out there.
 
i totally understand what you guys are saying, and i'm by no means trying to promote the trade of fake goods, merely playing devils advocate here. in fact, i would never knowingly buy fake shoes, solely for the quality issues.
just to say a little more though, and then i think we can put this argument to rest with the conclusion that buying fakes is probably not a good idea. in response to the working conditions thing, i'm lucky enough to have gotten the chance to go to china where i visited one of their huge wholesale markets and talked to the people that worked there. while there, my friends all bought fake shoes (which, for the record, are still in good condition to this day). based on our conversations with the people running these operations, there are a lot fewer steps between the guy who owns, the guy who sells, and the 12 year old that makes. yes, they use shitty materials, but their prices are way lower than the jacked up rates you see with the real deal, and the money is split between fewer people. to actually figure out who gets more in the real vs. fake scheme would be nearly impossible. in general, the whole issue of cheap production is morally fucked, and anyone interested in the topic should read bill mckibbens accounts of china. i forget the actual book name, but its worth your time.
also, i just want to say that the "don't support illegal black markets" argument is moot if you download music, movies, etc., because its all the same. just a question of who you're stealing from.
anyway, i agree that if you buy fakes you're sacrificing serious quality, and that should be enough reason to not buy them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top