Sneaker Freaker

You mentioned before that the quality of the shoes has got better. Is that just because the reward is so much better that it justifies the investment?

I put it down to the price they're able to get. The counterfeiters realise the closer they get to the real thing the higher price they could get and the more likely they would be to convince the consumer that these things are real. In fact, the average price of a counterfeit shoe has tripled since we last spoke. Now, what they haven't improved at any stage of the game is the technology in the footwear.
They haven't improved the cushioning, they haven't improved the rubber/carbon compounds to make the shoes any safer, but they're more able to precisely copy the look of the shoe. So, couple that with better marketing opportunities through the expansion of the internet, the better infrastructure because of a higher retail price and they're able to build a more convincing picture. An example of that is many shoes that I see also come with fake letters of authority with Nike letter head supposedly signed by guys in China who work for Nike.

They even fake their signatures?

They fake their signatures, they fake the company seal, they fake the letterhead, they fake everything. So, you've got the counterfeit shoe together with letters of authority from the guy who is the GM of China Footwear on Nike letterhead with a company seal and, if you don't understand our manufacturing logistics and transportation protocols, you'd think this was a legit deal. It's not.

Cheeky bastards.

They are!