The quickest way to check if you have a fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga, is to check the size tag and the box label of the sneakers. On the size tag, look out for inconsistencies in the style and shape of the text and on the box label of your V2 Beluga, check to see if the size code matches the version you have (EU & US).
Looking to learn how to spot fake Yeezy Beluga? Afraid of buying fakes?
This guide works for any Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga: 1.0, 2.0, Carbon, Refelctive, Non-Reflective.
We understand it might not be the easiest way to pick up this information and just apply it, thus we’ve added specific real vs fake Yeezy Beluga comparisons below — visual examples so we can get our point across.
How to tell if your Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga is fake
To tell if you have a fake Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga, check the appearance of the size tag. A fake pair always has thicker inscriptions that are too close to each other.
Checking the size tag and the box label are not the only techniques that you can use to determine the authenticity of your sneakers.
In this complete guide to the real vs fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga Comparison, we will cover 11 techniques, detailed with images, which can serve as indicators of an authentic pair of Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga.
1. Barcode scan
Scanning the barcode is the fastest way of spotting 95% of the fake Yeezy Beluga pairs.
The technique works so well because the barcode is usually overlooked by fake manufacturers who do not care to pay attention to the details of the barcode.
When you are ready to scan, tap on the barcode scan icon.
Focus on the barcode on the box label of your sneakers.
As explained above, the scanning process works by comparing the unique barcode of your Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga to other sneakers in the Yeezy-Adidas line.
1.2. Beluga 1.0
This works for both the Reflective & Non-Reflective versions.
Pay attention to the size of the sneakers, because if they don’t match up with the shown results online, then you are most likely looking at a fake pair.
Look at which shoes come up in Google Images when scanning your shoes.
1.2.1. Authentic barcode
Let’s have a look at the images with the results after scanning the authentic vs replica Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga 1.0 barcodes.
As you can see, the box label says “US9” for the size, and all the results match the size and colourway of the product.
1.2.2. Fake barcode
Now let’s also have a look at the fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga 1.0 barcode scan.
This barcode scan shows up the wrong results.
Too many other colourways come up, but not the one that we need: Yeezy Beluga.
Even the sizes are wrong, meaning that the fake Yeezys in the example above are “9 1/2”, and the barcode results show up in different other sizes: 12.5, 11, 7, and more.
We have a detailed article explaining the barcode test over here, but we will summarize it in this post with authentic and fake vs real Yeezy Beluga examples. Do check the article linked above if any info below is unclear.
The app has a barcode function that works by comparing the unique barcode of your sneakers to other sneakers in the Yeezy-Adidas line.
Colourway:
Beluga 1.0: BB1826
Beluga 2.0: AH2203
Beluga Carbon: HQ7045
Beluga Refelctive: GW1229
Style: 350 V2
Size (US): From 5 – 14
Simply finding the same colourway does not automatically mean the sneaker is authentic.
Finding the same size and colourway does not mean the sneaker is authentic — a broken clock is right twice a day.
The purpose of this test is to quickly weed out the fake barcodes that don’t get an aspect right.
1.3.1. Authentic barcode
All the style + size + colourway combinations match the Beluga V2.
A fake reseller can swap a genuine box and eventually insert a pair of replicas.
Once again, all we’re doing with this step is weed out 95% of the fakes, thus saving ourselves time in many instances.
1.3.2. Fake barcode
Now let’s also have a look at the scan of a fake Yeezy Beluga sneakers’ barcode.
The problem with the fake Yeezy barcode scan is that on the links it says “Size 9.5” and “Size 10”.
Looking at the image above, you can notice that the fake pair is a size US9.
A real pair has to match the size of the sneakers with the size shown up on the internet after scanning the barcode.
Use your judgment to decide whether there are confirmation points on the internet in regards to the code you’re analyzing, thus the size + colourway combination you’re checking.
2. Size tag
The “MADE IN CHINA” is too thick on the fake Belugas, and this is the most obvious in the letter “M”.
The “MALE/MALE” text is significantly too thick on the fake sneakers, and on the legit ones, it is thinner.
The “adidas” and the “R” will never make contact on a legit pair of Belugas, and some of the replica sneakers do have these in contact.
But in our case, the problem is that these two elements are too thick, and the legit ones are thinner
Most of the time, the fake sneakers will have the “16” looking a lot thicker than it has to look, just as in our case
The “07/16” text means the date that the sneakers have been released; June 2016.
Look out for any text that’s out of shape. In this case, the “265” has the number “6” looking bigger than the rest of the numbers, and we are not going to mention the thickness because the problem is obvious here too
3. Boost sole
The way the pellets are attached to the boost triangle can instantly tell if you have real or fake Yeezy Belugas.
3.1. Beluga 1.0
The fake Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga pair has pellets too undifferentiated and smooth.
Yes, the authentic pellets are smooth too, but they are less undifferentiated than the fake ones.
Let’s see another fake example for the Boost sole.
First of all, the sole is less opaque than it has to be.
Then, the same problem applies here too for the pellets: they’re not smooth enough.
The fake pellets have a sharper look than the real ones.
On the authentic pair, you will observe that the boost is a lot more bubbly than the slightly stiffer one you would find on the bottom of a fake pair.
3.2. Beluga 2.0
There is less differentiation between the boost pellets on the real V2 Beluga compared to the more indented ones on the fake pair.
The striped circles, are better defined and appear to be randomly generated in the fake boost.
On the other hand, on the fake Yeezy Beluga pair, you will notice that the striped circles are all well structured, appearing to be a bit more mathematically generated as opposed to the randomized pattern on the real pair.
Here’s yet another example of the replicated boost sole.
Remember, replica Yeezy Beluga will keep a constant look in this area.
Whether it’s the one linked above or below, keep an eye out for anything that is uncannily similar to what’s under “fake” in our fake vs real comparison.
On these fake Yeezy Belugas, you can notice how the pellets are also mathematically positioned too.
4. Box label
On the box label, the size number and the serial numbers are the main indicators of authenticity.
4.1. Beluga 1.0
Before you can check for the authenticity status of your V2 Beluga using the size as the indicator, you must, first of all, understand that the Yeezy-Adidas collection is released in two versions:
The US version and the international version (Canada and Europe).
On the US version, the box label features 3 sizes:
US, UK and F. The US size is in large print while the other two sizes are in smaller prints below it.
For the international version, there are 6 sizes featured on the Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga box label:
US, UK, F, D, J and CHN. Unlike the US version, here, all six sizes are displayed in equal prints.
The flaw on the fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga 1.0 is that, in this example above, the box label is a US version, and it says “V10”.
The authentic Yeezys that have the US box label must say either “V02” or “V03”. For more explanation, scroll down a bit to the Beluga 2.0 box label.
4.2. Beluga 2.0
The rule of thumb is the following:
The US version (which only features three sizes) will always have serial numbers that end with a V02 or a V03.
The international version (with six sizes), on the other hand, will have serial numbers that end with a V10.
In the image above, the authentic box label which is an international version has a serial number that ends with V10.
The fake box label, a US version, has a serial number that ends with V10.
Regarding the serial number, which is featured at the bottom of the other section of the label:
The general rule is that all US versions have serial numbers that end with V02 or V03.
All European/international versions of the V2 Beluga have serial numbers that end with only the V10.
A quick mention:
The steps we’ve written so far are the BEST ways to authenticate this item
The next few steps are still reliable methods…
… but they apply to non-top-versions of replicas available for this item
If in doubt, we recommend double-checking the steps we’ve explained above this line.
5. Lacing
Every sneaker in the Yeezy-Adidas collection is packaged with a particular lacing style and if you notice any inconsistencies in the pattern, then you might be dealing with a fake pair.
5.1. Beluga 1.0
The fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga 1.0 have the right lace above the left lace.
Meanwhile, the authentic laces are exactly as they have to be.
We also call this flaw on the fake Yeezys as the “reverted laces”.
5.2. Beluga 2.0
The authentic pair follows this lacing pattern:
On the right shoe, the right lace will first go under the left lace on the right shoe.
On the left shoe, the left lace will first go under the right lace.
Let’s have a closer look at the way the laces are arranged. Below is a real vs fake Yeezy Beluga comparison:
However, this technique is not foolproof:
Those who might want to sell fake pairs as authentic can mimic this lacing pattern to pass it off as an authentic pair and as such, this is not always a reliable indicator for worn pairs.
For 100% unworn and brand new pairs, however, the laces should always look like in the authentic example above.
6. Middle stitching
6.1. Front
The middle stitching is significantly thinner on the fakes.
The authentic pairs have a different structure and a higher stitching density.
6.2. Back
It is visible that we meet the same problem on the rear side of the Yeezys too: the stitching is too thin.
Meanwhile, the real pair has thicker threads.
7. Toe box
On a counterfeit pair of the Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga, you will notice that the toe box is slightly bulkier than the thinner toe box on the authentic pair.
7.1. Beluga 1.0 toe box
The fake Yeezy Beluga’s toe box is too bulky, thick, massive, and high.
By high, we mean that it is too curvy and arched on the fake Yeezys, and on the legit sneakers, it is more laid down.
7.2. Beluga 2.0
This can be attributed to the difference in build owing to the lower quality factory equipment used by fake manufacturers.
It’s important to stress that it might be difficult to spot some of these differences without our comparison images.
To the untrained eye, nothing might look amiss even if you put a fake and real pair side by side.
That is why 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 anytime you need to.
Whether it is a purchase at a physical store or buying the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga online, we’ve organized all these areas of a sneaker (lace, size tag, etc.) into quickly-accessible shortcuts.
8. Shape
Usually, the fake Yeezys don’t get the right shape of the sneakers on the tongue and the sockliner area.
8.1. Beluga 1.0
The fake Yeezys have the opening of the tongue too wide and curvy.
The authentic Yeezy Belugas are more straightened.
8.2. Beluga 2.0
On the fake pair, the opening is slightly wider and the structure of the tongue slightly differs from the structure of the tongue in an authentic pair.
Compare your sneakers to the ones in the image above and if it seems like the opening of the sneaker is slightly wider and the tongue is not as elongated as it appears to be on the authentic sneaker in the picture, then what you have in your hands might be a replica.
9. Sockliner
The sock liner is the protrusion on the back of your sneakers, as depicted in the images below.
9.1. Beluga 1.0
Generally, fake Yeezys have the sockliner looking thicker than needed.
As you can see, we have pointed out the fact that on the bottom side of the sockliner, the authentic pair narrows a bit, and the fake pair remains with the same thick and not narrowed style.
9.2. Beluga 2.0
On the fake pair, the sock liner appears to be significantly thinner when compared to the thicker sockliner on the authentic V2 Beluga.
It is easy to notice how the fake Yeezys above have the sockliner looking a lot thinner than the authentic pair.
On the other hand, the legit Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga sneakers have the sockliner thicker.
10. SPLY-350 lettering
10.1. Lettering
The fake pair’s “SPLY-350” text is too thin.
We have pointed this out in the letters “Y”, “L”, and “P” since it is the most visible there.
The authentic SPLY-350 inscription looks thicker on the real shoes.
10.2. Y-flaw
From the image below, you can see that the “Y” on the fake almost looks like a “V”.
This difference is due to the low amount of precision of the printers used by fake manufacturers.
Notice how the authentic pair has a solid letter “Y” that’s legible as a “Y”, and not as a “V”.
11. Insole
11.1. Rear side
On the rear of the insole, one will find the Adidas text and the trefoil logo, as seen in the picture below.
On an authentic pair, you will notice that the print is significantly deeper as seen in the way shadows create depth.
Also, the “adidas” text is weirdly spaced out from the outline of the logo on the fake sneakers, compared to the real sneakers where the logo and the text are more closely embossed.
You will also notice that the characters in “adidas” are thicker on the fake insole compared to the thinner letters on the authentic insole.
Lastly, the ® engraving is also deeper on the authentic pair than on the insole of counterfeits.
11.2. Front side — Beluga 1.0
We have pointed out the fact that the fake Yeezys have the “adidas” print different than the legit print.
That is because the highlighted letters are too thick and also too curvy on the fake Yeezys.
On the other hand, the legit Yeezys are thinner and less arched and curvy.
11.3. Front side — Beluga 2.0
On the fake, the letter “a” in the word “adidas” is smaller and thicker than the authentic “a”.
The dot of the “i” is also too small.
Keep in mind that some fakes also have the dot of the “i” that looks like a circle, and it has to be a square.
11.4. Serial number side
The Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga has a serial number printed on the side of the insole.
On the replicas, this text is slightly bolder than the text on the authentic pair.
As a result, there’s less space between letters.
This indicator is most evident on the dash character between the 5 and 9 on the fake insole.
Shortlist: Spot fake Yeezy 350 V2 Beluga in 30 seconds
Scan the barcode of the Yeezy Boost 350 V2 using the Legit Check App.
Check the Yeezy V2 size tag for inconsistencies in the printing quality.
Inspect the serial numbers and sizes on the box label.
Ensure the lacing style of the Yeezy V2 follows the correct style following the right lace under in the right shoe and the left leg under in the left shoe pattern.
Check to see if the boost sole on Yeezy V2 is bubbly.
The opening on the real Yeezy Boost 350 V2 shouldn’t be too wide and make sure the tongue isn’t more elongated than necessary.
The sockliner doesn’t have to be too thick.
Ensure that the toe box is not unusually inflated.
Check for inconsistencies in the middle stitching on the back of the sneakers.
Check for inconsistencies on the insole regarding the logo, the text and the serial number.
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 Belugas.
That is why we have compiled this quick 60-second solution to authenticating your Beluga V2s.
Expert Yeezy Beluga authentication service
If you need help with the authentication of your Yeezy Boost V2 Beluga, we’ve got you covered.
All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your V2 Beluga 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.
That brings us to the end of our real vs fake Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Beluga guide. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.
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About the Author
David is the co-founder and co-CEO of Legit Check By Ch. David's experience: 5+ years of creating educational content in the fashion industry. 6+ years of authenticating luxury items. Currently, David is the Head Editor of the LCBC Library, where 1,000,000+ words have been published, in free guides, for over 1,000 items.
