Bape STA Sneakers: Can You Tell The FAKE? (2024)

Last Updated on April 4, 2024 by Ch David

The easiest way to spot fake Bapesta Low sneakers is to look at their size tags, as the fake Bapestas never have their inscriptions on that little piece of fabric at the correct thickness. Authentic Bapesta pairs always have the same font-weight for all of their characters, as they’re never leaking any quality when it comes to this tag holding information about your pair’s size.

The Bapesta is a symbolic product for the famous brand, A Bathing Ape. Along with the Shark hoodie, the Bapesta Low sneakers come in many colourways which people love.

It’s pretty hard not to say, but indeed, the Bapesta Low sneakers remind us of a familiar pair of shoes, but aside from that, the Bapestas are unique on their own as well.

Once with the fame, there are replicas, and since these Bape shoes are so popular, they are very replicated, and when you want to buy a new pair of these, it gets frustrating now knowing which is the real deal and which is the counterfeit.

That is exactly why we’ve compiled this ultimate fake vs real Bapesta Low legit check guide, and only by reading it, you are going to know what to look for in order to spot fake Bapestas.

How you can tell if Bapesta shoes are fake

1. Size tag

1.1. Newer size tags

In the picture with the real vs fake Bapesta Low sneakers above:

• The fake size tag’s “US” text is too thin, and it is too small when compared to the real one.
• The “* A BATHING APE®” text is also too thin and small.

Authentic Bapestas have their “US” text on the size tag thicker, bigger and more defined than the fake one.

1.2. Older size tags (2000s)

Let’s check out the real vs fake Bapesta sneakers from the 2000s, back when Nigo (Bape’s founder) was designing these shoes.

Interesting fact: Nigo left Bape in 2013.

The picture with the fake vs real Bapesta sneakers above shows you how the fake pair has three main flaws:

• The fake pair’s “cm size:” text looks too thin and the letters are too big with too much space in between. The real pair’s letters are thicker, smaller, and with an overall bulkier look than the fake inscriptions.
• The “us size:” inscription is also too thin and too big on the fake pair.
• The “FootSoldier®” text is too thin on the fake pair, while the real pair’s text is thicker.
• The fake pair’s registered trademark “®” symbol is too big. The authentic one is smaller.

Finding it too hard? Reach out to our Bape experts:

2. Star stitching

In the picture with the authentic vs fake Kanye West Bapesta Low sneakers above:

• The fake shoes have their threads on the star at the wrong size and thickness.
• The fake pair’s stitches are too small and short, but also well too thin.
• This flaw can be noticed all around the star of the fake shoes.

On the other hand, the real Ye x Bape Bapestas have their stitching on the star looking bigger and longer, as well as thicker than the fake pair’s threads.

3. Back logo

This picture with the real vs fake Bapestas above shows you how:

• The fake pair’s registered trademark “®” symbol is placed too low.
• The fake is so low that it almost leaves no space between the letter “B” in the word “BAPE”.
• The fake pair’s “STA” text is too thick, while the real pair’s same letters are thinner.

On the other hand, the real Bapesta sneakers have their “®” character placed a tad bit higher, as it is placed further away from the word “BAPE”.

In the picture above, you can see an example of the authentic Bapestas in the newer format on their rear side.

4. Midsole stitching

In the image with the authentic vs fake Bapesta Low sneakers above:

• The fake pair has its stitching done badly when compared to the clean stitching job on the real shoes.
• The fake pair has some threads that are thicker and shorter than the others.

The threads seen on the real shoes have the same thickness and length for each thread.

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. Toe box

• The fake pair’s toe box is a little flatter at the top.
• The sole is too little curvy up to the front tip.

On the other hand, the authentic shoes have their upper side looking bulkier, and their sole is curvier and arched more than the fake pair’s toe box.

6. Tongue badge

• The fake pair’s registered trademark “®” symbol is too thick, while the real pair’s symbol is thinner.
• The fake letter “B” in Bape’s written logo looks narrower than the real pair’s letter “B”, as the authentic pair’s letter is stretched more and it is wider than the fake one.

7. APE midsole logo

The “APE” text is present on each authentic pair of Bapestas, as it is a symbol for these shoes.

• The fake pair’s “APE” text looks too thin, as it comes out of the shoes too little.

On the other hand, the authentic A Bathing Ape Bapesta Low shoes have the same “APE” text more massive, as it comes out of the shoes more, thus giving this thicker look.

8. Glue stains

• The fake pair has two black marks which shouldn’t be there.
• When the shoes were being manufactured in the replica factory, these two marks occurred when they shouldn’t have.

Such flaws will never occur on an authentic pair of Bapestas, as the quality control service is as good as it never lets shoes with any extra marks get out of the factories.

Shortlist: Legit check Bapesta in 30 seconds

1. Verify the size tag inside each shoe, as the fake pairs usually have their text on the size tag at the wrong thickness
2. Look at the stitching on the Bape star of your shoes, because the replica Bapestas tend to have their threads at the wrong size and font-weight
3. Check the details on the back of the shoe, because the fake pairs commonly have their Bapesta logo improperly detailed
4. Authenticate the stitching on the midsole of your shoes. Mostly, the fake Bapesta Low sneakers have stitching with threads that are in the wrong size and thickness
5. Look at the toe box of your shoes, and make sure that the toe box is as flat and as curvy as it has to be
6. Inspect the badge on the tongue of your Bapestas, because in most cases, the replica Bapesta Low shoes have their text at the wrong thickness
7. Keep an eye out for the “APE” text on the midsole, and make sure that it comes out of the shoes as much as it has to
8. Look at the Bapesta Low sneakers for any sort of extra marks, as these never take place on the legitimate pairs

The 9 detailed steps outlined above might not be so practical when you are in a hurry or when you want to buy sneakers online. 

That is why we have compiled this quick 60 seconds solution to authenticating your sneakers.

Is it BAPE or Bapesta?

BAPE (short for “A Bathing Ape”) is the brand’s name, while Bapesta refers to one of BAPE’s footwear lines — those inspired by the Nike Air Force 1. Shortly, BAPE is the brand, and Bapesta is the product.

When referring to Bape, you’re talking about the whole brand. The term Bapesta is just for the shoes.

Expert Bapesta authentication service

All you have to do is send us good-quality pictures of your Bapesta sneakers 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 Bapesta legit check guide. We will continue to update this article as better and newer comparisons are put out.

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