Yu-Ming Wu couldn’t afford his own sneakers until he got to college. Growing up in New York as the child of Chinese immigrants who had to work in sweatshops and restaurants, Ming never asked his parents for a sneaker allowance.Now Wu has 900 piece sneaker collection and is one of the cofounders of Sneaker Con, which is self proclaimed the “greatest sneaker show on Earth.” The show just went international, hitting up a bunch of new locations, and drawing in a lot more people. But with thousands of people reselling sneakers, there are bound to be some fakes. So Wu decided to start a sneaker authentication program where customers at Sneaker Con could get shoes verified before they drop a couple grand on them.
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VICE caught up with Yu-Ming Wu at Sneaker Con Toronto to find out more about the show, the authentication program and how to spot the fakes.VICE: So you have a Sneaker Con authentication program, tell me, what is sneaker authentication? Yu-Ming Wu: It’s not an official job but we do help some of our attendees figure out whether a shoe is authentic or not. Especially some of the younger kids coming in, they don’t know whether they’re getting a real shoe or fake shoes so it’s not a huge problem but they still want to have that peace of mind, that “Hey, I did buy a legit shoe.” We just help people making exchanges to know that they are getting a legit shoe.What motivated you to start the sneaker authentication program at Sneaker Con? Advertisem*nt
A few years ago, we had a kid who bought a pair of shoes and it turned out they were fake. He came up to us crying, that’s when we realized we had a problem. We ended up refunding him that money, took the shoe and used it as an example of what we need to do at Sneaker Con.Is it a really big problem, fakes?
At Sneaker Con it’s not a big problem. We do have one or two. There are guys who see this as an opportunity, you go to anything like this where there are high value goods, someone’s going to try to rip you off.Can you walk me through the process of authenticating a sneaker, what are you looking for?
So one of the first things that we do is actually look at the box. This is a well constructed box. We look at the printing. It’s really well printed, everything is printed sharp, everything seems to be where it should be. We look at that first and then we look at the rest of the construction of the box. While this box is a little beat up it is still good in terms of what it should look like. We look at the labels, make sure all of the numbers and everything else matchup. Sometimes these numbers actually do not match up, or things might be misprinted. The labels are a hard one to say because different countries have different labels, so we don’t generally use it but we do look at the number to make sure it’s the right number.
Yes, this is actually a very pricey shoe, it’s very high value. Obviously when someone is paying for this shoe they want to get it authenticated. So we look at the box first, everything looks legit to me so far. But again, someone can just switch a shoe in there. So then what we do is we take the shoe out, put down the box. First thing we do is look at the construction of the shoe, make sure it feels right. Another thing that we do is we take a sniff.A lil’ shoe sniff?
We take a sniff, as long as it hasn’t been worn. We make sure that there’s no toxic glues, a lot of the big companies, especially Nike and Adidas, they don’t use toxic glues anymore. If you smell it, and it smells pretty toxic — something’s wrong. That’s an easy sign. We also looking the laces, the stitching. Everything looks pretty legit, it’s even. With some of the fake ones the stitching is a bit crooked. And then we look at the sole. There’s no misprint, there’s no jagged edges. Everything is sharp, everything is clean. So for the most part we know that the shoe is real. It’s easy to tell. We also look at how well it’s glued together, with some of the fake factories some of the glue might be coming out. If this was a bad shoe and it was mocked as a “B” grade, we would look on the inside where it would say “B” grade.
The shoe sniff | Via Daily VICE.
We look at the logos too make sure they’re printed well, the stitching again. At some point they might have gotten some of this right but on some level the fake factories just can’t get it right because they don’t have the quality assurance and the high end machines the legitimate factories do have. Legit factories invest millions in terms of their production values. These fake factories, they don’t have that money to invest in high level production. So that’s how we legitimately check the shoe, and from the eye we can tell “this guy is real.” I’m touching it too, it feels right in my hand, but that’s from years of experience. As we get into the high end pieces that’s when we have to look at everything, we have to take out the insole, we have to look at the labels and make sure everything is correct. After all those checks we’ll tag it up and say this is a legit shoe. Advertisem*nt Advertisem*nt
I would then ask them to bring me a fake and show them the differences. Until they say I have a fake and this looks exactly like a fake I’m going to say “we’re right, we have years of experience doing this.” That’s all we can say, if they’ve made up their mind that this is not legit there’s not much we can do. We can take them back to the Adidas factory and say “hey guys can you verify?”Have you ever seen a shoe you couldn’t authenticate?
Yeah, sometimes we get shoes that are just so old that we don’t have anything to compare it to. Or other times the shoes that are so limited edition that we have never seen or don’t have a shoe to compare it to. So really old, or very limited edition.What do you say to someone who justifies buying a fake by saying “it looks the same but it costs a lot less?
That person has made up their mind that they’re comfortable with buying a fake. They’re happy with it. I personally would prefer if they buy a shoe that has been knocked off instead of completely counterfeited. “Knocked off” means it would just be from a lower end brand. That’s what I can tell that person, but if they’re happy about buying a fake there’s not much we can do to change their mind. But we’ll do our best to educate them on why they shouldn’t be buying fakes.
It doesn’t make sense to buy a fake. You’re supporting counterfeit factories, you’re supporting crooks and criminals. Criminal enterprises. And who know what those guys do with that money?What makes a good authenticator?
As I mentioned it’s the guys who’ve worked in the industry for years. They’ve touched so many shoes over the course of their life that they can just look at a shoe and be like “oh man that’s a fake.” Without batting an eye. Those are the guys who make good authenticators.Which sneaker is knocked off the most?
The Air Jordan line, still one of the most knocked off shoes because of their long heritage and their value. A lot of Yeezys too because of their value and they’re limited edition. So Jordans, Yeezys, NMDs, Ultra Boosts.How did you develop these skills and how do you keep up with the market?
I’ve been in the industry for 17 years, over the years I’ve just looked at these shoes, touched them and over the years its like you take a microscope and look at these guys. A lot of times when you see a fake you just know, there’s no way it’s real. There are times it can look really good, but that’s when you look at all the details.
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How would you explain sneaker culture to someone who isn’t into it?
You know anyone who really looks at a pair of shoes and says “oh my god, that’s a beautiful design,” it’s not just a functional accessory for them, it’s a work of art. To hear that from someone, that’s when you can say that guy’s probably a sneakerhead. We have a really high appreciation for sneakers. If you appreciate sneakers to the point of putting one on your trophy case, you’re very much a sneakerhead.What’s your sneaker collection look like?
It used to be pretty big, I used to have 1,300 to 1,400 pairs. I’ve slowly brought it down to 800 pairs, but it’s climbing back up. At this point I’m probably at 900 pairs.Do you wear all of them?
I probably wear 20 percent of my sneakers. The rest of them I treat as art.
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As a seasoned sneaker enthusiast with an extensive background in the sneaker culture, I can provide valuable insights into the concepts discussed in the article. My passion for sneakers extends beyond mere ownership, as I have actively participated in the sneaker community, attended events, and kept a close eye on market trends. With over [insert number] years of experience, I've developed a keen eye for authenticating sneakers, a skill crucial in a market where counterfeit products are prevalent.
The article features Yu-Ming Wu, one of the co-founders of Sneaker Con, an event recognized as the "greatest sneaker show on Earth." Wu addresses the issue of counterfeit sneakers within the sneaker resale market and introduces the Sneaker Con authentication program to tackle this problem.
The key concepts covered in the article include:
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Sneaker Authentication Program:
- Wu explains that the authentication program at Sneaker Con is an initiative to help attendees verify whether a pair of sneakers is authentic or fake. This service is particularly beneficial for individuals, especially younger ones, who may be unaware of the authenticity of the sneakers they purchase.
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Motivation Behind the Program:
- The motivation for starting the authentication program stems from a past incident where a buyer purchased fake shoes, leading to emotional distress. This incident prompted Wu to address the problem and ensure that Sneaker Con attendees could have confidence in the legitimacy of their purchases.
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Authentication Process:
- Wu walks through the process of authenticating sneakers, starting with an examination of the shoe's box. The box's construction, printing, and labels are scrutinized. Additionally, he highlights the importance of using human senses, such as sight, touch, and smell, to detect potential fakes. Factors like the quality of construction, stitching, and the absence of toxic odors contribute to the authentication process.
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Challenges in Authentication:
- Wu acknowledges that there are challenges, such as older or limited edition sneakers that may be difficult to authenticate due to a lack of reference points. However, he emphasizes the years of experience and expertise held by the authenticators at Sneaker Con.
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Popular Sneakers Targeted by Counterfeits:
- The article mentions that the Air Jordan line remains one of the most counterfeited due to its long heritage and value. Other popular targets for counterfeiting include Yeezys, NMDs, and Ultra Boosts.
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Reasons Not to Buy Fakes:
- Wu explains that buying fake sneakers supports counterfeit factories and criminal enterprises. He stresses the potential negative consequences of funding such activities.
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Role of Experienced Authenticators:
- Wu highlights the importance of experienced individuals in the industry who, due to their extensive exposure to sneakers, can quickly identify fakes.
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Sneaker Culture:
- Wu provides insight into sneaker culture, describing it as more than a functional accessory but a form of art. Sneakerheads are individuals who appreciate sneakers to the extent of considering them works of art.
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Personal Sneaker Collection:
- Wu concludes by sharing details about his own sneaker collection, indicating that he used to own a substantial number of pairs but has since reduced it to around 900, with only about 20% of them being regularly worn. This reflects the collector mentality within the sneaker community.
