10 Ways to Spot Fake Balenciaga Shoes (Speed Trainers, Triple S, & More)

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Plus, tips to ensure your next luxury purchase is authentic

Co-authored by Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Spotting Fake Shoes

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How to Get Authentic Shoes

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Authenticating Your Shoes

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Video

Balenciaga is a Spanish luxury brand that has been designing high-quality clothing, accessories, and footwear since 1919. While the brand has been selling shoes for over a century, Balenciaga started upping their high-end sneaker game in recent years. If you’ve gotten your hands on a pair of Balenciaga shoes and want to figure out whether they’re legit or dupes, keep reading. We’ve compiled a list of things to look for, along with tips on ensuring the authenticity of your purchases in the future.

Real vs Fake Balenciaga Shoes

Fake Balenciaga shoes usually have messy stitching, blurry logos, and glossy finishes. They're likely made of cheap, light materials, too. To make sure you're getting a real product, buy directly from Balenciaga or a reputable second-hand store. It’s also helpful to get your shoes authenticated by a professional.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Spot a Fake Pair of Balenciaga Shoes

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Fake Balenciaga shoes may have inconsistent stitching throughout. No matter what type of shoe it is, there will likely be some kind of stitching throughout. Whether they’re the Speed Trainers, Track Sneakers, or Triple S, the stitching should be neat, uniform, and tight all over. In a counterfeit pair, you might notice some messy, inconsistent, and patchy stitching. Loose threads are typically a clear sign of an illegitimate product.^{[1]
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Fake Balenciaga often feel light and are made from low-quality materials. Balenciaga is a luxury brand due to the fine craftsmanship and the high-end materials they use. Balenciaga shoes are generally made out of a range of premium materials, like leather, polyester, and other innovative, sustainable fabrics.^{[2]
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Research source} Authentic Balenciaga shoes are therefore on the heavy side, so take note if your new pair of “Balenciaga” sneakers are ultra light. Balenciaga dupes are also likely to feel cheap and hard.
- Authentic Balenciaga footwear has no visible glue marks, either. If you see them, that could point to a dupe.
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The heel and sole of a Balenciaga dupe usually aren’t very sturdy. Certain styles, like the Speed Trainers, feature a lot of fabric near the heel. If you’ve purchased sneakers of a similar design, compare them to photos of authenticated pairs. There should be extra cushy fabric on the heel for added support and stability. If the heel of your shoe feels flimsy or unstable, you might be wearing a pair of dupes on your feet.^{[3]
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Fake Balenciaga shoes have blurry or ill-defined logos and fonts. When it comes to counterfeit shoes, the featured print and/or logo may look relatively different from an authentic pair. Bona fide Balenciaga shoes have clear and defined “BALENCIAGA” logos with an elegant, recognizable font. Dupe Balenciaga shoes may have blurry or dull fonts that usually appear significantly thinner or thicker than the real thing.^{[4]
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- The placement and texture of the logo is also telling, as authentic designs have precisely placed logos that are often embossed. Illegitimate Balenciaga products will usually just have an off-center painted logo.
- The logos are usually on the side, the heel, the sole, or the insert of the shoe, depending on the style.
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Fake Balenciaga athletic shoes often feature poorly made tongues. If the shoe has a tongue, the tongue should be firmly placed, durable, and have both the logo and the shoe size printed on it. Dupe shoes tend to have shapeless, flimsy tongues with no sizing information. If this description fits the pair you own, they’re most likely not legit.
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A fake pair of Balenciaga shoes is more likely to be glossy than matte. Whether the shoes are loafers, boots, sneakers, or heels, Balenciaga’s general aesthetic is more matte than it is shiny or glossy. This is especially true if you own a pair of their sneakers, like the Track Sneakers or the Speed Trainers. Inauthentic pairs may have an overly glossy shine to them, making them look cheap.^{[5]
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- For shoes with laces, the laces should be relatively tight and well-made with no visible fraying. Laces belonging to counterfeit shoes may be damaged or fraying.
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Inauthentic Balenciaga shoes come in a flimsy box. Just like a dupe pair of Speed Trainers themselves, the box they come in will likely be of a lesser quality. Authentic Balenciaga shoe boxes are typically hard and sturdy, with sharp corners. Shoe boxes containing dupes may fold into themselves easily and feel wobbly overall. Additionally, the “BALENCIAGA” logo printed on an authentic box should be in a dark, well-defined font.^{[6]
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- Dupe shoe boxes may also feature ridges in the cardboard, whereas authentic Balenciaga shoe boxes are smooth and matte.
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Fake Balenciaga shoes are packaged in dull gray dustbags. An authentic pair of Triple S sneakers comes in an off white or light gray dustbag. The "BALENCIAGA” logo printed on the bag will be on the small, thin, and dainty side. However, dupe dustbags are usually a plain, dull gray color with a large, inconsistently printed logo.^{[7]
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Balenciaga dupes may have a size sticker on the sole. Although some luxury brands, like Alexander McQueen, do feature size stickers on the soles of their shoes, Balenciaga does not. If you see a sticker when you flip over the shoe, that’s a telltale sign of an illegitimate product. In an authentic pair of Balenciaga Speed Trainers, for example, all you should find is an embossed “BALENCIAGA” logo on the center of the sole.^{[8]
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Expect to pay a hefty price tag for real Balenciaga shoes. Although it’s natural to want a discount on anything you buy, Balenciaga’s high cost is a reflection of its quality, craftsmanship, and chic aesthetic. This means that a legitimate pair of Balenciaga shoes—or anything Balenciaga, for that matter—will run you anywhere from hundreds of dollars to thousands. So, if you find a great deal on a pair of City Sneakers in petal pink, way below their regular price, it’s best to proceed with caution.
- For a bit of perspective, Balenciaga boots cost about $2490, Runner Sneakers cost $1190, and Suede Speed Racers will run you no less than $725. Shoes that are hugely discounted are usually a red flag.^{[9]
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Section 2 of 3:

How to Buy Authentic Balenciaga Shoes

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Buy directly from Balenciaga. While there are some trustworthy secondhand sellers, the surest way to know that your product is authentic is by buying straight from the source. There are about 30 Balenciaga locations in the U.S., and another 250 worldwide, so you may have a chance to visit a store in your nearest big city. If not, shop till you drop at Balenciaga.com.
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Research reputable secondhand sellers. Online marketplaces like TheRealReal, ThredUp, Depop, and Poshmark are great places to buy, sell, and window shop for luxury goods. Some focus on vintage items, while others throw in the authentication of your purchase. Do your research with Balenciaga in mind and figure out which cyber shop best suits your needs.^{[10]
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Buy from well-reviewed sellers. No matter which online marketplace or seller you choose, make sure they’re highly rated. Read the reviews and double-check that customer experiences align with the seller’s rating, because some star ratings might be false and/or misleading. For instance, a positive review could be from someone who was given a pair of Triple S shoes for free and fails to mention it.^{[11]
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Website with up-to-date information for consumers from the Federal Trade Commisson

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- Go over the seller’s return policies and confirm that they offer a reliable way of contacting them, too.
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Inspect product images carefully. Use the tips and tricks you’ve learned on identifying real Balenciaga shoes and inspect every product image available. If a seller has only included awkwardly angled or dark photos, that’s a sign of dishonest marketing. If the photos appear to be stock images of the product and not the item the seller is selling, that’s another red flag.
- Terms like “refurbished,” “used,” and “as is,” tend to be euphemisms for inauthentic footwear or footwear that isn’t in great condition—beware!
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Buy with a credit card. Most credit card companies, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, offer protections in the case of fraudulent activities or inauthentic purchases. Buying a questionable item is never recommended, but at least buying it with a credit card guarantees that you won’t lose your money should your new Balenciaga Track Sneakers be deemed dupes.
- If your Balenciaga shoes turn out to be dupes, simply file a dispute with your credit card company.
- Avoid any seller who asks you to pay via wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or outside of the authorized payment services provided by the online marketplace.^{[12]
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Section 3 of 3:

Authenticating Your Balenciaga Shoes

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Look for a Certilogo tag. Thanks to new technology, some shoes now come with a physical or digital tag that involves a Certilogo code. If you have a pair like this, check their authenticity on the Certilogo site by scanning the code. Dupes won’t have a match in the system, and usually don’t even have a code to scan. If yours does, it’s a good sign!
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Use a third-party authentication service. Websites like LegitApp, LegitTrails, Real Authentication, and Entrupy can provide you with an expert to authenticate your purchase, supported by AI software. All you have to do is upload a few photos of the shoes, wait for the images to be examined by an expert and AI, and then receive the final verdict.