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Last Updated on January 1, 2021 by Ch David
Wondering how to spot fake vs real Yeezy Citrin Reflective and Non-Reflective?
If you don’t mind adding another stylish pair of Yeezys to your rotation, then you should go for the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin.
Whether you are a sneakerhead or not, you want to ensure that when buying the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin, you know whether you are looking at an authentic or a fake Yeezy Citrin pair.
That is why we have created this Ultimate Guide to the Fake vs Real Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin Comparison embedded with images that will help you identify and differentiate a fake sneaker from the authentic ones.
This 10-step legit check guide will show you the best ways you can spot a replica of the V2 Citrin.
The quickest way to check for authenticity on your Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin is by inspecting the size tag and the box label of the sneakers.
The fake size tag features many inconsistencies while the box label may display an incorrect size code that doesn’t match the version of your sneakers.
Once you spot any one of these inconsistencies, then it is very like you are dealing with a replica.
Although the size tag and the box label are the two main indicators of authenticity that you would find on the V2 Citrin, they are not the only indicators present on the sneakers.
That is why we have created this comparison guide, featuring 10 indicators embedded with images to help you identify how authentic your sneakers are.
At the bottom of this detailed real vs fake Yeezy Citrin guide, you will find a quick 10 step fast check solution to identifying a fake pair of Yeezy Boost V2 Citrin.
So let’s proceed to the steps to take when authenticating your sneakers to ensure you do not end up with a replica of the original sneakers.
When fake manufacturers try to replicate the Yeezy V2 Citrin, they are typically more focused on recreating the design of the sneakers with almost little to no attention paid to elements like the barcode.
This makes the barcode a reliable indicator of authenticity that can help you ensure you only purchase the original Adidas manufactured sneakers.
When you are ready to scan the barcode of your Yeezy V2 Citrin, we recommend that you use the Legit Check App.
When you scan the barcode using the Legit Check App, the app will run your unique barcode against other Yeezy sneakers online. Note that all Yeezy sneakers have a unique barcode that relates to a specific combination of:
Download and install the Legit Check App on your phone.
Once you are ready to scan, tap on the barcode scan icon and focus in on the barcode on the box of your Yeezy 350 Citrin.
The results are where you will need to apply your intelligence. You will need to look for matches that confirm the authenticity status of your Yeezy Boost V2 Citrin.
Now, if the results show lots of confirmation points on Google for your unique barcode as illustrated in the picture below, then you can be assured that your box is authentic.
Please note that we say the box is authentic and not the sneakers because there is still the possibility that the real sneakers might have been swapped for the fake ones by the fake resellers to trick buyers into thinking the sneakers are genuine.
On the other hand, if the results do not show confirmation points that match the size-colorway combination, as shown in the picture below, then you probably have a fake in your hands.
In fact, in this picture below, after scanning the replica barcode shown on the box label above, the results shown up on Google not only miss the right size, but even the colourway, as the results show us Cloud White Yeezys, and we actually have to deal with the Citrin Yeezys.
Please note that the barcode scanning can only be considered a perfect match when the size and colorway combination on the results match the one on the box.
Thus, if only one of the two matches, then the box is still a fake. For the full story on how to scan the barcode on the box or your V2 Citrin for authenticity, read our article here.
The size tag, although considerably small in size features many discrepancies that can serve as indicators of the authenticity status of the V2 Citrin.
Nonetheless, it is necessary to understand that different colorways in the Yeezy Boost V2 line have different misprints on their size tag and what is considered an inconsistency on the Citrincolorway may not necessarily be considered as one of the Sesame, Butter, Cream or other colorways in the Yeezy-Adidas collection.
1 – The fake “MADE IN CHINA” text is slightly thicker on the fake pair. The legit Citrins have this text thinner
2 – The “1/2” print is first of all thicker on the fake pair, and second of all, the number “1” is too small and it is placed a little bit too far away from the slash (“/”)
3 – In the word “APE” (fun fact – it is the name of the factory), the letters “P” and “E” are connected, and on the legit V2 Citrin sneakers, these letters don’t make contact
4 – The hashtag (“#”) character is obviously thicker on the fake Yeezys, and on the other hand, the legit Yeezys have this element thinner
Now that you know how to spot the replica Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin by looking at the size tag too, let’s move on to the next step of the comparison.
Next, you will proceed to inspect the box label of your V2 Citrin. On the box label, there are two main confirmation points you should look out for; the country size code and the serial number. So how does this work?
Now, it is important to understand that the Yeezy-Adidas collaboration releases its sneakers in two versions – the US version and the international version.
The US version displays three-country sizes on the box label – US, UK and F. Here, the US size is in large print, while the other two sizes featured under the US size and in smaller prints.
The international version of the V2 Citrin, on the other hand, features 6 countries (US, UK, F, D, J, and CHN) sizes and every one of them is in equal prints on the label.
On the bottom right-hand corner of the box label is the serial number. If the pair is a US release, then the serial number is going to end with a V02 or V03. But for international (Canadian/European) releases, the serial number will end with a V10.
As seen in the image below, in the authentic international version featuring 6 sizes, the serial number ends with a V10. However, on the fake box label which is a US version, the serial number ends with a V10, as opposed to a V02 or V03.
Please note that if you notice any deviation from this pattern, then you are without a doubt looking at a fake V2 Citrin.
Next, you will need to inspect the lacing pattern of your Citrin V2. Please note that every sneaker released by Adidas as part of the Yeezy-Adidas collection all come with one particular lacing style.
This lacing style follows a simple pattern; the left lace goes under the right lace in the left shoe and the right lace goes under the left lace in the right shoe.
If your lacing style does not correspond with this pattern when you first unbox your sneakers, then you certainly have a fake product in your hands.
However, it is important to understand that following the correct lacing pattern does not always mean the sneakers is authentic either.
This is because the fake manufacturer can choose to lace their sneakers to mimic the authentic pattern although it is a replica.
Thus, we do not consider this to be a foolproof indicator of authenticity.
For the fifth step of the real vs fake Yeezy Citrin authentication process, you will inspect the boost sole of your sneakers.
The top indicator of authenticity here is the bubbliness of the boost sole. If the boost of your sneakers seems slightly rigid, then it could be that you have a fake.
Also, you will notice that there is less differentiation between the boost pellets on the authentic Yeezy Boost V2 Citrin and the striped circles are better defined.
While the striped circles appear to be randomly generated to the genuine sneakers, on the fakes you will notice a mathematical pattern to the circles.
The shape of your sneakers is a reliable tell of its authenticity whenever you want to differentiate a fake Yeezy Citrin from the real one.
Every colorway in the Yeezy Boost V2 collection comes in one unique silhouette and any slight deviation from the shape might be all you need to tell if it is a replica or not.
On the replica of the V2 Citrin pair, you will notice that the shoe’s opening is wider and they may appear to have a different structure from what’s on the authentic pair.
To help you better understand this, take a look at the sock liner and the angle from the bottom of the tongue.
Next, pay close attention to the “peak” of the tongue and the authentic shoes curve differently from the fake ones.
You will notice that while the authentic pair curves significantly more upwards, the fakes have a somewhat flatter shape.
The toe box is where the toes fit in. As shown in the picture below, you will notice that the toe box is significantly bulkier on the fake pair when compared to the slender toe box of the authentic pair.
This difference can be attributed to the poor attention to detail from the fake manufacturers as well as the lower quality factory equipment used in the production of the sneakers.
Here, we have embedded both the front and back view of the middle stitching on the V2 Citrin to give you a better view.
You can notice that the middle stitching on the fake sneaker is less structured with thinner threads when compared to wider middle stitching on the authentic pair.
Both the Yeezy Cintrin reflective and the Yeezy Citrin Non-Reflective pairs will have 3M (a retro-reflective silver material that glows brightly in low levels of light) materials on the laces.
However, not surprisingly, the fake pairs will commonly use a replicated 3M material, which in consequence causes the shine to be less bright than the original pair.
Why does this happen? Yet again, this will be to save on costs as the fake 3M material costs more than the standard one — a decision where replica Yeezy Citrin manufacturers will compromise.
As you can see in the picture above, the authentic pair has more of a glow to it when photographed. Although this information applies to both types of shoes, this is just the Yeezy Citrin Non-Reflective fake vs real comparison that we’ve attached.
Understanding that your case will likely be the same (the light conditions won’t match the authentic example we’ve given), we’ve attached this example to discuss it.
As you can see, the differences in shine on the fake vs real Yeezy Cintrin pair can be spotted in terms of alignment.
The fake pairs seem to have more of a random distribution of reflective material, while the authentic one seems to have it well-aligned.
The lines are pretty straight and mathematically aligned on the real Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin Reflective example.
Some Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin pairs usually have the flaw in which there is a coloured extra thread that shouldn’t be in place. Let’s have a look at the mages for reference.
In this picture above, we have pointed out how the fake sneakers have an extra thread of red stitching on the coloured site. On the authentic Yeezys, you will not meet this flaw.
The insole of your sneakers features several inconsistencies that can help you differentiate a fake from an original.
On the rear of the insole is the Adidas Trefoil logo. Here, the first thing you should pay attention to is the embossment of the logo.
You will notice that the print is significantly deeper on the authentic insole, as evident in the way shadows create depth.
Also, the characters in “Adidas” are thicker on the replicas when compared to the thinner prints on the authentic.
You will also observe that there is more distance between the “Adidas” text and the outline on the fake size tag as opposed to the more compact style on the logo.
Lastly, on the authentic pair, the ® engraving is significantly deeper like the other characters. However, on the fake insole, the letter R is bigger than necessary.
As you can see in the fake vs real Yeezy Citrin images above, the fake shoes have the letters “d” looking too arched and too curvy than they have to look like.
Besides, an instant callout would be the dot of the letter “i”. The fake shoes have the letter “i” with a circle dot instead of being a square, as on the legit shoes.
The serial number can be found on the side of the Yeezy V2 Citrin. Like in the Adidas-Yeezy text, on the fake insole, the text is slightly thicker than it is on the original and as a result, you will notice reduced spacing between letters. This is especially evident in the dash character between 5 and 9.
We understand how it might be difficult for you to spot some of these differences without having a fake and real pair next to each other.
That is we recommend that you download our app, where we organized all this information (along with other fake vs real guides for streetwear items) properly so that you will be able to pull up this visual comparison fast.
There are situations where you may be unable to go through each detailed step explained above when you need to authenticate your Yeezy Boost V2 Citrin.
That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to authenticating your sneakers. Below are the top 10 indicators that can help you determine if you have a fake pair of sneakers or original Adidas manufactured V2 Citrin.
If you have read this guide and are still uncertain about whether your shoe is real or fake, the Legit Check App offers an authentication service to put your mind at ease.
Should you either not be confident in your ability to follow this guide or are simply lacking time, all you have to do is send us high-quality pictures of your V2 Citrin and we will get back to you with the results within 24 to 48 hours.
The results will also come with a report on why we believe your sneakers are fake or authentic.
We do charge for this service — as much as it doesn’t make business sense for us to say this, we encourage you to learn with our free guides how to authenticate these sneakers, instead of using our paid service.
Why? Once you get the grasp of it, you’ll have a skill that will help you save money and decide for yourself whether the pair you’re getting is authentic or not.
That brings us to the end of our real vs fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Citrin guide. Thank you for reading this — we will continue to update this article as better and newer versions of fakes are released.
Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.
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Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.
Thank you for reading this,
Ch Daniel and Ch David
