Fake Salomon Shoes

[Fisan]

A hubber PM'd me about this and seeing another hubber posted fake ones in the classifieds, I thought I'd just share the information to all:

 

Rule #1: don't buy Speedcross. I can recommend many other better running / hiking shoes suitable for SA.

 

Here's how to spot fake ones.

 

Physical differences:

• LT-Muscle badge: Look at the lateral heel of the left shoe. On genuine Speedcross shoes, the black "LT" is on the left (see Figure 1 below). On fake Speedcross shoes the LT badge is on the right. There is an exception to this rule: The Vario and Speedcross pro models have this the other way around (don't know why).
• Quicklaces: the fake laces are usually a tiny bit thicker and they bend differently. You really have to have a genuine pair and a fake pair side to side to spot this.
• Printing on the Insoles:
  • spelling mistakes
  • low quality / blotched letters of "Ortholite"
  • miss-match of old and new Salomon text-logo and "S"-logo
• Shoe tongue
  • bad / or lack-of stitching underneath the tongue.
  • Irregular or odd spacing of letters "Made in Vietnam" or "Made in China"
• Fine details:
  • This one was difficult to spot: The quicklace Patent reference is imprinted on the quicklace clip. It should read "5477 593", but I've seen many typos here.
• Difficult ones:
  • Material quality. You can try to look at stitching and other material qualities but it is really difficult to feel a difference (without running a few k's).
  • Colourway. They do imitate some of the real colourways (but there are sometimes small differences such as lace colour or tongue colour), but the fake ones are also available in many more colours. You sort of have to know which colours have been produced before and which ones have not. Have a look at this catalogue (non of these colourways are exactly produced by Salomon):
    http://www.movomovo.co.uk/salomon-running-shoes-salomon-speedcross-3-mens-c-74_75.html?zenid=69425554c3df35fbbc4bc82de70ce940

 

Pricing-based

• No new / unworn pair Speedcross shoes will ever be sold under R1400. The cheapest legit shoes I've seen was going for R1450 at Poobienaidoos.co.za (they are very reputable and a good place to buy sport goods)...but their cheapest ones are going for R1550 now.
• Never ever ever ever buy Speedcross from gumtree / OLX. They are littered with fake pairs.
• You also get sites that sell Nikes and Speedcross. Any website that has categories such as "Salomon Running Shoes" - like this - is guaranteed to be fake. A genuine website will go something like this: Men's Running Shoes > Trail Shoes and then filtered by brand, price, etc. Any website blatantly advertising Speedcrosses on sale....I promise you: fake.

I've tried to include everything I know / remember. Feel free to add more or correct me if I'm wrong.

[Malpiet]

Nice post

[WrightJnr]

Thanks for this. [emoji106]

[Cippo]

Tx for headsup. Been looking at getting a pair. Can't make up my mind which colour. Due South and Cape Union Mart are selling them for R1699, Speedcross 3. DS seems to have a bigger colour selection.

[AlanD]

Great info here, thanks for sharing

[mecheng89]

Worst trail running shoe ever (the Speedcross). M&S equals mud and snow! Which we don't have! Any other Salomon shoe is better for trail running. 

[Fisan]

Worst trail running shoe ever (the Speedcross). M&S equals mud and snow! Which we don't have! Any other Salomon shoe is better for trail running. 

 

My point exactly. We do get some muddy conditions though - more Eastern South Africa, but the amount of people I see here in the Cape wearing Speedcross on hard packed terrain is shocking... And then they complain that the treads don't last. It's a good shoe. But not meant for SA.

[Boerklong]

Im om my second pair of speecross and wont buy them again. Slippery as sh!t on most wet surfaces.

[A Jay]

Shot for the education..... money saving info.

[Meentb]

These shoes have become so expensive the fakes are gonna be R1500 a pair soon

[L.T.G]

Off topic on the fake point ..

Totally agree that the Speedcross is for really soft terrain/surfaces only.. That sole gets worn out in no time.

I'm on my feet about 14 hours a day and need something decent with good support, I had a pair of Speedcross' 2 years ago that were really comfy, but only lasted a few months before being totally smooth.

This is what my feet live in now

XA Pro 3D

[TheJ]

I'll happily admit I bought a pair of fakes, two actually, and own a pair of "real" ones as well. I brought them in for my parents who do the occasional trail "walk", and go walk on a nearby farm in the mornings. My mom's pair is great, and my dad's as well but unfortunately the size 46 (biggest the Chinese make), are too narrow for his feet. Length is fine. I have a pair of 46 2/3 which is noticeably wider for obvious reasons. I bought them because for what I paid, you can not find even a half decent offroad shoe anywhere. I don't actually care if they said "SpeedPlus 3" or whatever. They looked nice, had a rugged looking sole and was cheap.

 

I know the topic starter posted the points to help people spot fakes. What wasn't mentioned though was if they are actually GOOD shoes, fake or not. Yes, they are brilliant. Trail shoes are supposed to have stiff soles to prevent rocks from jabbing into your foot. The fakes are about 95% as stiff as the real ones, and miles stiffer than road shoes which I've used offroad as well. If these were my size I'd GLADLY run in them. Short runs, 100 Milers, them all.

 

Let me address a few points raised by the OP.

 

LT-Muscle badge

Does the layout of the badge really make it a bad shoe?

 

Quicklaces

I can't say that in all the shoes I've owned, that a lace that is 0.5mm thicker have really made me toss a pair of shoes out. I compared the patent imprint on the shoe lace clip. They match. Yes, doesn't mean they are real though, just good fakes.

 

Shoe tongue

I looked under the fake's tongue and there is a "missing" 1cm piece of stitching. Again, I can't see how that would impede on the shoe's performance at all.

 

Difficult ones (material & colour)

Visually and with touch, the material looks and feels identical. I'm no expert but even up close they look to be very similar. Colour... honestly. Is a red bike faster than a blue one?

 

Pricing-based

I got two pairs to my door for R1206 with R34 levies.

 

The  only thing that does suck on the fakes are the insoles. They are paper thin and pretty much useless. I'd replace them with some nice SoftSoles or similar and you'll have a killer pair of offroad shoes.

[Mongoose!]

.

[Fisan]

I'll happily admit I bought a pair of fakes, two actually, and own a pair of "real" ones as well. I brought them in for my parents who do the occasional trail "walk", and go walk on a nearby farm in the mornings. My mom's pair is great, and my dad's as well but unfortunately the size 46 (biggest the Chinese make), are too narrow for his feet. Length is fine. I have a pair of 46 2/3 which is noticeably wider for obvious reasons. I bought them because for what I paid, you can not find even a half decent offroad shoe anywhere. I don't actually care if they said "SpeedPlus 3" or whatever. They looked nice, had a rugged looking sole and was cheap.

 

I know the topic starter posted the points to help people spot fakes. What wasn't mentioned though was if they are actually GOOD shoes, fake or not. Yes, they are brilliant. Trail shoes are supposed to have stiff soles to prevent rocks from jabbing into your foot. The fakes are about 95% as stiff as the real ones, and miles stiffer than road shoes which I've used offroad as well. If these were my size I'd GLADLY run in them. Short runs, 100 Milers, them all.

 

....

LT-Muscle badge

Does the layout of the badge really make it a bad shoe?

 

To answer the question above. Yes, it does.

 

TL;DR: Save R100's on shoes. Spend R1000's on medical bills.

 

Anyways, you raised some valid points here, but there is one thing you need to consider: the lifespan of the shoe over 600+ km's. How does the midsole / structure last?

 

If they use cheaper materials on the visible parts, surely they'll do the same in the parts that we cannot see - and these are the important parts. Just like knockoff cycling products (due to cheaper materials) can hurt you (see fake ritchey bars), so can shoes.

 

Salomon spend a lot on R&D (well they would at least like us to think that) developing the LT Muscle technology to support your feet and the biomechanical chain that follows. Inadequate support may not cause the same kind of pain as per broken handlebars, but it can cause pain. The long-term-difficult-to-correct type pf pain. I'm sure the knockoff brand did not spend a second thinking about the structural support they should provide.

 

I use can and maybes - because maybe these shoes are just fine....but it's about trust.

 

Buying shoes from a reputable brand is almost the same as buying a bike from a reputable brand in the sense that you can trust the brand will keep you structurally safe. I know I'm comparing Apples and Pears here, but I have to keep it relevant to Bikehub

 

P.S. @ TheJ: I remember your honest and informed ad from Trailhub - I respect that, unlike most of the ones on Gumtree and that one here on Bikehub...  

[intern]

Nothing's sacred these days. Fake teeth, fake boobs, fake tan, fake faces and now...fake Salomons.

[Longbarn Killer]

I'll happily admit I bought a pair of fakes, two actually, and own a pair of "real" ones as well. I brought them in for my parents who do the occasional trail "walk", and go walk on a nearby farm in the mornings. My mom's pair is great, and my dad's as well but unfortunately the size 46 (biggest the Chinese make), are too narrow for his feet. Length is fine. I have a pair of 46 2/3 which is noticeably wider for obvious reasons. I bought them because for what I paid, you can not find even a half decent offroad shoe anywhere. I don't actually care if they said "SpeedPlus 3" or whatever. They looked nice, had a rugged looking sole and was cheap.

 

I know the topic starter posted the points to help people spot fakes. What wasn't mentioned though was if they are actually GOOD shoes, fake or not. Yes, they are brilliant. Trail shoes are supposed to have stiff soles to prevent rocks from jabbing into your foot. The fakes are about 95% as stiff as the real ones, and miles stiffer than road shoes which I've used offroad as well. If these were my size I'd GLADLY run in them. Short runs, 100 Milers, them all.

 

Let me address a few points raised by the OP.

 

LT-Muscle badge

Does the layout of the badge really make it a bad shoe?

 

Quicklaces

I can't say that in all the shoes I've owned, that a lace that is 0.5mm thicker have really made me toss a pair of shoes out. I compared the patent imprint on the shoe lace clip. They match. Yes, doesn't mean they are real though, just good fakes.

 

Shoe tongue

I looked under the fake's tongue and there is a "missing" 1cm piece of stitching. Again, I can't see how that would impede on the shoe's performance at all.

 

Difficult ones (material & colour)

Visually and with touch, the material looks and feels identical. I'm no expert but even up close they look to be very similar. Colour... honestly. Is a red bike faster than a blue one?

 

Pricing-based

I got two pairs to my door for R1206 with R34 levies.

 

The only thing that does suck on the fakes are the insoles. They are paper thin and pretty much useless. I'd replace them with some nice SoftSoles or similar and you'll have a killer pair of offroad shoes.

You are missing the point of the Op's thread. He is telling you how to spot a fake, not how the logo, stitching or laces affects performance.