First look

We finally got our hands on the Solebox x adidas Consortium Ultra Boost Uncaged - better late than never - and with this being the second official uncaged Ultra Boost, it's interesting to see which collaborations will feature the cageless look again after numerous attempts by buyers to uncage theirs for various reasons.

Check out the shots below:

Coming in a special box that screams class, the Solebox x adidas Consortium shoebox has mainly burgundy all around, with gold accents, and a leather-like texture. 

A look at the absence of a cage, and the first thing that springs to mind is the loss of the shoe's structure, whereby it'll be usually held by the stitched cages on both the medial and lateral side.

That aside, the stitched suede heel cup replacing the plastic one on the GRs were a premium touch, with Solebox branding on the lateral side. The collaboration also features a soft, wool-like grey Primeknit upper, a complementing buttery smooth suede heel cup, and mesh in a different accent above it completes the different materials used in this collaboration.

There are 2 extra set of laces - the original grey rope laces with red aglets and red rope laces in the same shade with the red tips.

The matching reds on the shoe is a pleasing contrast, with the red outsole giving a touch of vibrancy to what may seem like a muted colourway. Complementing it perfectly are the lace tips, which gives the shoe a pop of colour along with the outsole and insole, which features Solebox and adidas branding on each side respectively.

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First look

Here at Saints, we got the coveted white Ultra Boosts with a vibrant multicolour weave on the toe, similar to the Chinese New Year version, whereby the upper was navy instead of white.
Check out the shot below:

The toe weave remained largely the same as observed by us, with varying saturated shades of the primary colours - red, blue and yellow - while the rest of the shoe was reminiscent of the "Triple White", but instead of a creamy-beige shade of white on the Primeknit as seen in the first version of the GR Whites, it was devoid of hues and greyness - as seen in the pictures we took.

The equally white heel cup has silver and gold lettered "ultra boost", of which we are huge fans of. The metallic letters perfectly complement the white upper and the equally white flat laces, which sits on top of a milky Boost midsole, all complete with a black insole - which isn't shown here - and outsole.

You can get yours here today at Saints!

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Box

Material

Size Label

Shoe

Size Tags

By far the most common and easiest way to check for Trainers, the manufacturers for fake Racers have definitely stepped up their game. The tags of the replica we got were really good - indistinguishable to those who don't know.
The size tag on the fake has inconsistent spacing between letters - look at nikebetterworld.com, MADE IN VIETNAM, UPC number - and have different bold words as compared to the original. 

On the authentic pair , the spacing is consistent, and some of the size tag spotting tips from the Trainer article is applicable here too, so I shall not discuss too much about this.

Insole

Heel

Side Profile

Toebox

These are just a handful of pointers to be aware of, and should help you effectively in differentiating fake and real Flyknit Racers. To make sure you don't even have the need to check your pair, make sure you get it from trusted sources! Always ask for tagged photos if possible as people may use photos taken by others to show you. If they are unwilling to do so, chances are it may be fake - don't waste your time.

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​In this post, I'll be teaching you guys - be it the people who are afraid to purchase fake Flyknit Trainers, or those who just want to know more - how to differentiate between a fake and real pair of Nike Flyknit Trainers. For simplicity's sake, I will be using the term 'trainers' to refer to these Flyknit Trainers.

 Before we start, when you want to get a pair of trainers, always ask for more pictures as some sellers do not post photos of the size tags, but only the front and side profiles of the shoes and the soles. Don't be forced to make a quick decision. If the seller is pressurising you to purchase, don't take a risk on buying unless you're sure you can get a refund. Even so, the whole process is extremely troublesome, so why not make an informed decision instead by reading this article?

To begin with, there are two types of trainers: unpadded and padded ones. The difference between these is usually half a size - you can size down 0.5 if you are intending to get an unpadded pair as compared to a padded pair.

e.g. I wear a US 7 in unpadded, US 7.5 / 8 for padded. I prefer more space, so I go for an 8 padded. This boils down to personal preference.

1. Heel Stripes 

Figure 1. There are 6 full stripes, and sometimes, there is a partial stripe covered by the heel tab.

Figure 2. Same as above, just that the partial stripe might be harder to spot as sellers don't usually give you so many detailed pictures. A good rule of the thumb would be 6-7 stripes on each side.

Figure 3. This is a fake trainer. Notice that there are more than 6-7 stripes on the outer of the heel area.

Figure 4. If the 3M Stripes on the heel tab are not reflective (i.e. When you shine a bright flash, it doesn’t reflect like in the pair on the right), it’s very like you’re dealing with a fake.

If you’re still unclear, we will use the next tip to further examine the trainers.

2. Toebox Weave

This is a bit more tricky than the previous method, but as you do more checks, you'll get more accustomed to spotting the 'off' toebox weave. As most sellers provide photos of the top profile of the shoes, chances are high that you may see the toebox weave.

Figure 5. When looking at the toebox from a short distance, the weave on the real (left) one should be of uniform colour, and the edges should look rounded and not have sharp edges.

Figure 6. The edges may seem a little rough when close up, but not to the extent of looking too out of shape. The two patterns and colours on the toebox weave will be uniform on all trainers, with the exception of the Multicolored Trainers.

3. Size Tags

 There are two types of Flyknit Trainers in the market. Firstly, the unpadded batch from an earlier production: "considered-design.com", and secondly, the padded batch from "nikebetterworld.com". If you are confused, don't worry! Read on to find out more.

 "nikebetterworld.com" is what you see on the size tags of trainers made in Vietnam. These pairs belong to the later (newer) batch of trainers produced by Nike, and are usually padded.

"considered-design.com" are on the size tags and these were made in Taiwan, usually unpadded. If you come across a "considered-design.com" tag, it might not be fake, but most of the time when you see a cheap price tag for a brand new pair, it's almost always fake. 

Now that you know more about the two different size tags, we can move on to checking these pesky tags for any errors/mistakes in printing.

Figure 7. Multicolored Flyknit Trainer Size Tag

Made in Vietnam / Fabrique Au Vietnam (nikebetterworld)

1) The 'M' in 'MADE' should be very closely aligned with 'B' in 'FABRIQUE'. (A very slight misalignment of about 1mm or lesser)
2) Same goes for 'I' in 'IN' and 'E' in 'FABRIQUE'
3) 'N' in the 'VIETNAM' (Made in Vietnam) is aligned with 'E' in 'VIETNAM' (Fabrique Au Vietnam)
4) The uneven spaces between US, UK, EUR and cm is normal, and almost constant for all “nikebetterworld.com” tags.

Figure 8. Volt Flyknit Trainer Size Tag

Made in Taiwan / Fabrique A Taiwan (considered-design)

 1) The 'N' in the word 'IN' should be aligned with the 'E' in 'FABRIQUE'

2) The 'W' in 'TAIWAN' (Made in Taiwan) should be aligned in the centre of the 1st 'A' in 'TAIWAN' (Fabrique A Taiwan)

If you have other racers, you can use the size tag for reference for trainers with size tags that say 'nikebetterworld.com'! Once you've seen enough of the trainers, you'll soon be able to recognise in a couple of looks whether they're fake or real.

4. Soles

Figure 9. Authentic trainers have these areas which protrude out evenly and fully on the soles, and are not flat.

The soles are not easy to check, especially for used pairs. The soles may be worn out, thus affecting your judgement. With that being said, use the 4 tips mentioned in this article in conjunction to check on the authenticity of the trainers. If you’re unsure, DO NOT BUY!

Say no to fakes, and I hope this article on authenticity checking will give you guys a few basic pointers on how to look out for them.

Photos taken from NikeTalk, Carousell.

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