Can you tell the $1,295 Valentino heels from the $200 fakes? (2024)

Over the past few years there has been an influx of realistic looking designer replicas flooding the market.

As a result, those who think they've scored a 'bargain' designer bag or shoe are actually strutting around flaunting a cheap fake.

The team at Luxe.It.Fwd- an Australian business that sells authentic second-hand designer handbags and heels - send all their items to specialist authenticators to ensure they are not fakes.

Here, the company's founder Miranda Gillespie lists the 10 key signs that designer heels are fake and the key differences between an authentic pair of Valentino Rockstud Pumps that retail for $1,295 and a pair of fakes bought for $200 from China.

So can you tell the difference?

GENERAL SHAPE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP

The genuine Valentino shoes on the right are sleek and elegant, crafted from patent leather.

'The fake pair on the left has a rounded appearance at the toe and have a slightly different shape overall,' Miranda said.

'The fake pair has an acrylic type smell to it, which is a common sign of a replica shoes and which indicates that they are not made from leather.

'Note how the authentic pair hold their shape while the replica pair sags.'

THE BOX

The genuine box has a linen textured appearance with Valentino Garavani embossed in red.

The replica box is a slightly differing shade of red and has a much subtler texture.

'The logo is embossed in black and appears slightly crooked. The replica box also has an odd, slightly unpleasant smell about it,' Miranda said.

DUSTBAGS

Valentino use several different dustbags, however the replica dustbags do not resemble any of them in any way. They are wrong in every way – material, colour and font.

INTERIOR VALENTINO TAG

'On the genuine Valentino pair the interior tag is perfectly positioned and secured with neat even stitches. The font is clear and crisp,' Miranda said.

'Notice the differences in colour on the replica pair, which uses a brown for the font, rather than the black of the genuine pair.

'The stitches are messy and also note how puffed up the sole underneath the tag is compared to the genuine pair which is flat.'

DATE CODE

Genuine Valentino shoes have a serial number printed on the interior in the same colour as the hardware. The fake pair have no serial number at all.

GLUE AND STITCHING

'Genuine Valentino shoes have no excess glue visible, whereas the fake pair have excess glue visible in nearly every area of the shoe,' Miranda said.

'Also note that the fake pair have used white stitching on the black patent, whereas the genuine shoes have black stitching.'

THE STUDS

The back of the studs are concealed within the straps on the genuine Valentinos. The back of the studs are visible on the interior of the straps on the replica pair.

'In person the studs on the replica pair also appear much shinier, slightly yellower and quite plastic when next to the genuine pair,' Miranda said.

'Also note that the buckle on the replica pair is rose gold, whereas on a genuine pair all hardware is the same colour.'

HEEL HEIGHT

Though both pairs are 100mm heels, there is a noticeable difference in the actual height of the heels, with the genuine Valentinos being a tad higher than the replicas.

STAMPING

'The stamping on the genuine pair is crisp and neat, and imprinted quote heavily into the leather soles,' Miranda said.

'Whereas on the fake pair the imprint is much lighter, and the type and size of the font does not match.

'Note that the genuine pair have leather soles, while the fake pair have man made soles, which are a differing shade also.'

INCLUSIONS

'The genuine valentine shoes are accompanied by two spare studs in red paper case, two spare heel caps and a care booklet,' Miranda said.

'The replicas are accompanied by many spare studs and a pair of spare heel caps in plastic bags – probably so many included because with the quality of the fakes they’ll fall off soon.'

Luxe.It.Fwd has a bunch of Valentino Rockstud shoes for sale here