Yeezy 380 Onyx Real Vs Fake: Legit Check Guide (2024)

Written by
Ch David
yeezy boost 380 black onyx real vs fake
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Last Updated on January 10, 2024 by Ch David

Let’s study how to spot fake Yeezy Boost 380 “Onyx”.

We’ll take you through the 6 best ways to legit check Yeezy Onyx (Black).

This guide works for both Reflective & Non-Reflective Onyx.

No time to waste.

How to spot fake Yeezy 380 Onyx

To spot fake Yeezy 380 Onyx, check the size tag inside each shoe and the text written over there.

On fake shoes, this tag has errors its inscriptions: usually either too thick or thin.

1. Barcode

All of the legitimate Yeezy 380 have unique information:

  • Colorway – ONYX / ONYX / ONYX
    • Non-Reflective: FZ1270
    • Reflective: H02536)
  • Style – 380
  • Size – From 4 to 17 (US)

An authentic box never says BLACK/BLACK/BLACK.

It always says ONYX/ONYX/ONYX.

We call the colorway/style/size combination “barcode matches”.

You’ll have to look for those in the scanning process.

1.1. How to scan

  • Get the Legit Check App
  • Open it & Tap “Barcode scanner”
  • Look up your shoebox’s barcode.
Barcode Scan Sneaker Legit Check App

Time to analyze the results.

1.2. Authentic

  • All of the details match. We have a legit barcode over here.
  • The barcode matches the box:
    • Yeezy 380 Onyx, Non-Reflective, FZ1270, Size US9.5

Right what we need.

1.3. Fake

  • No helpful results come up.
  • We can’t see the style/colorway/size matches.
  • Therefore, this is 100% fake.

Fun fact: We can even see another fake barcode of ours over there (from another guide).

Unclear? See the full story on how to check your Yeezy barcode.


Finding it too hard? Legit check your Yeezys with our experts:

2. Size tag

  1. “MADE IN CHINA” Text:
    • Authentic: The text is thicker and more defined.
    • Fake: The text appears too thin.
  2. Manufacturing Date Print:
    • Authentic: Displays “07/20” text with consistent thickness and spacing between characters.
    • Fake: Shows “07” text too thin, “20” text too thick, and incorrect spacing between characters.
  3. Last Line of Text:
    • Authentic: The text is thicker with uniform thickness across all characters.
    • Fake: The text is too thick and inconsistent.
  4. LHG/APE/CLU/EVN Print:
    • Note: LHG, CLU, APE, or EVN inscriptions can be found on both authentic and fake pairs, and are not reliable indicators of authenticity. Pay attention to the quality of printing, looking out for ink blotting, fuzzy lines, and other signs of poor printing quality.
  5. “US UK FR JP CHN” Text:
    • Authentic: Text is thicker and more defined.
    • Fake: Text is too thin.

3. Boost sole

3.1. Best fake

  • Authentic: Deeply embedded, correctly thickened “boost” text.
  • Fake: Thin “boost” text, not deeply embedded.

3.2. Mid fake

  • Authentic: Thicker “boost” text with clearly visible and defined pellets.
  • Fake: Thin “boost” text, with less visible and poorly defined pellets.

3.3. Low fake

Above is another example of a fake Onyx boost sole.

4. Lacing

Every original adidas x YEEZY pair comes with this lacing pattern:

  • Authentic: From the wearer’s perspective, the exterior lace goes under the interior lace for proper attachment.
  • Fake: Laces are attached in the incorrect manner, not following the exterior-under-interior rule.

Take a closer look:

  • Authentic: Shoes display the correct lacing pattern.
  • Fake: Laces are inverted and do not follow the authentic pattern.

This only works for brand new, unworn pairs (deadstock).

Why? Because laces can be replaced in the right pattern by replica sellers.

Below is a picture of how spare laces look like on the legit Yeezy Onyx:

Legit spare laces come only in this format:

  • In a cardboard envelope…
  • Found inside the main shoebox.

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. Box label

  • US Version (Authentic):
    • Large US size print with smaller UK and F sizes below.
    • Serial number ends in V02 or V03.
  • International Version (Authentic):
    • Equal print sizes for US, UK, F, D, J, CHN.
    • Serial number ends in V10.

What do fakes look like?

  • They may display incorrect size print patterns or serial number endings.
  • For example: US version ending with V10 (instead of V02 or V03).

Things left unclear? See our detailed Yeezy box guide.

6. Stitching

  • Authentic: Middle stitching is not deeply set, resulting in a thinner appearance.
  • Fake: Stitching is embedded deeply, making it appear thicker than it should.

Authenticity checklist

Below are the top 6 indicators to help legit check your Yeezy 380 Onyx:

  1. Scan the barcode: Fake Yeezys often yield results for different pairs, colorways, and sizes when scanned.
  2. Check the size tag: Counterfeit Yeezy 380 Onyx pairs frequently have inaccuracies in the font-weight and placement of text on the size tag.
  3. Verify the box label: Authentic European box labels should have 6 sizes and the “V10” inscription, while authentic American boxes must have 3 sizes and either a “V02” or “V03” inscription. Fake boxes often have twisted inscriptions.
  4. Examine the laces: Ensure that on the right shoe, the right side of the lace goes underneath, and on the left shoe, the left side goes underneath. This observation should be made from a top-down view, as if you’re wearing the shoes.
  5. Analyze the boost sole: Fake Yeezy 380 Onyx sneakers typically have pellets that deviate from the required shape.
  6. Inspect the middle stitching: Many fake pairs feature stitching that is excessively thick along the middle of the Yeezy Boost 380 Onyx.

These indicators can help you quickly assess the authenticity of your Yeezy Onyx sneakers.

Expert Yeezy Onyx authentication

If you’re unsure about your ability to follow this guide or simply don’t have the time:

  • All you need to do is send us images of your Yeezy 380 Onyx.
  • We will respond with the results within 24 to 48 hours.

Our results will also include a detailed report explaining the reasons for our determination.

Need our opinion on your item’s authenticity? It’s a service we provide.

Get a fully-detailed report for why you have a real or fake item. Takes less than 48 hours!

Alternatively, use our free resources: written guides and video tutorials.

Thank you for reading this,

Ch Daniel and Ch David

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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.
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