Clothing and footwear from popular brands are often counterfeited. This damages the manufacturer's reputation and the buyer's wallet. It is useful for fans of comfortable Timberland boots to know how to distinguish the original from the fake.
One hundred percent confidence in the authenticity of a product can only be guaranteed by purchasing directly from the manufacturer, in a store or on the Timberland website. In other cases, the shoes should be carefully inspected for confirmation of origin. Even if the product gives the impression of a high-quality item, you need to find all the characteristic signs of brand manufacture.
How to spot a fake Timberland by its packaging
The first stage of how to distinguish an original from a fake Timberland is recommended to begin with an inspection of the packaging. The branded box most often has a graphite color. The design may vary depending on the place of production, year of manufacture and shoe model.
Timberland fake is packaged in craft cardboard boxes. The reason is that the brand has used this type of packaging in the past for many years. Fraudsters continue to use this color scheme out of inertia.
Packaging comparison
Various boxes
Still, a box made of craft cardboard is not a sign of counterfeit Timberland boots. Real branded shoes of yesteryear can be sold in such packaging. And in new collections, the brand sometimes uses craft cardboard, taking care of the environment.
Attention! Timberland branded boxes made of craft cardboard are very flimsy. Therefore, damaged packaging of originals is quite common.
Original Timberland box, popular in the past
There is a lot of text on the box cover. In the original it is printed in a clear font. The presence of any distortions or other printing defects is unacceptable.
Brand text
Original print quality
Printing Defects
If you have proper knowledge of the English language, it is recommended to review the inscriptions for spelling and semantic errors. The presence of any inaccuracy is a sure sign of how to distinguish a fake Timberland.
Presence of error
Timberland original and fake differ in the general appearance of the packaging. The branded box has a clear design and correct geometry. For replicas, the packaging is faded, and the edges are beveled.
General comparison of boxes
Attention to detail is another way to distinguish original Timberlands from fakes. Branded shoes are wrapped in special packaging material made using recycled materials. The company places interesting facts about the brand’s social responsibility in several languages and its symbols on polyethylene.
Branded boot packaging
Polyethylene with information about the brand's social responsibility
Replicas often do not have additional packaging. Sometimes scammers use ordinary polyethylene without any identification marks.
Ordinary polyethylene
The branded box is large enough so the shoes don’t crush each other. If the shoes are packed too tightly, then this is one of the signs of how to distinguish fake Timberlands from real ones.
Placing Timberland boots in a box
Still, scammers try to replicate as much as possible the external resemblance to the original packaging. Therefore, copies often have a large enough box, which allows the boots not to wrinkle.
Large box at the replica
Appearance
Uneven seams, protruding threads or traces of glue on the sole will immediately indicate a low-quality product.
Too bright, saturated color should also confuse you. Original manufacturers prefer muted shades for their shoes.
The Timberland brand chose a tree as its logo. His image is either burned out or embossed on shoes. If it is embroidered, then it is a copy.
WE RECOMMEND! Salomon trekking boots look quite sporty and aggressive. With modern trends towards bulky footwear, these boots have become popular among city dwellers in major cities, despite the fact that they were originally designed for off-road and harsh conditions. More details on the Winter Footwear website.
Each pair of Timberland shoes has its own unique number, depending on the color of the model. By asking it in a search engine, you can easily find out whether it is original or not.
Timberland barcode verification
One of the most important ways to distinguish original Timberland boots from fakes is to check the barcode. It is on a label located directly on the box. You can check the Timberland barcode in the form below.
Label location
Barcode label
Timberland barcode
For counterfeits, the barcode is often printed with printing defects. Sometimes it is difficult to count this or that number.
Fake barcode
Sometimes a store puts its own barcode on top of the original one. There is no point in closing the original code to the seller. Therefore, the barcode is often sealed over replicas, since it cannot be considered a scanner.
New barcode over old one
ATTENTION! The correct barcode is not a 100% guarantee that your Timberland boots are original. At the same time, an incorrect barcode is a clear sign of counterfeit.
To check the authenticity of Timberland boots, enter the numbers in the field and click the “Check” button. If the barcode is correct, then it is recommended to also check the country of origin.
Important! This service checks the relevance and correctness of the applied barcode, but does not guarantee that the entered code is not taken from another product and the shoes being checked are not counterfeit.
How to buy authentic Timberlands in an online store
The company takes seriously the presentation of its products in the online space. To protect against fraudsters, the following rules apply:
- Brand products are not sold at the same time as products from other companies.
- The brand itself provides images of the models. Timberlands are photographed against a white background from a certain angle. Photos should not include other objects near the boots or in the background, or any signs of being photographed in a store or outdoors.
Before purchasing, you need to find out how much the product costs and compare prices with the information on the manufacturer’s website.
How to spot a fake Timberland by weight
Weighing your boots is a good way to distinguish original Timberlands from fakes. Branded shoes are made from high-quality materials, which affects their weight. That's why real Timberlands are heavier than replicas.
Original weight
Weighing a replica
What does the numbering say?
Genuine shoes are always numbered. If you decide to buy original Timberlands, look for the corresponding numbers on the shoes. Just enter the code into the search engine of the official website and you will immediately understand what you have in your hands - the original or a cheap copy.
Before buying shoes in a store, look at the model on the website. Try to study it in as much detail as possible, consider the colors, decor, even the tread of the sole and the shade of the laces. Once you have an idea of the type of shoes, you can go shopping.
If the purchase will not be made in a company boutique, check the product for authenticity in advance. This is not a cheap purchase, so you should be extremely careful.
Timberland size chart
If the sole has the usual Russian markings, then your Timberland is an obvious fake. This American brand indicates the size chart on a label or stamp. And it will be exclusively American size.
Material
Studying the material is one of the main ways to distinguish the original Timberland. The brand's signature shoes are made of nubuck. This is a finely fleecy leather with good water resistance. The material is soft and pleasant to the touch. If you run your finger over it, a small mark will remain.
Research on Nubuck on Timberland Boots
Real Timberland nubuck is resistant to adverse external conditions. It is not afraid of moisture and practically does not wear out. The surface of nubuck is heterogeneous and fleecy. If you run your hand over it in one direction, the villi are smoothed, and in the opposite direction, they rise up.
The look of real nubuck Timberland boots
Externally, nubuck looks like suede. It is genuine leather that has gone through a special type of processing. Thanks to sanding with fine abrasive materials, nubuck acquires a special texture. For its production, mainly cattle skins are used.
Counterfeits use artificial substitutes that look like thin rubber. The replicas are absolutely smooth. The synthetic material of the copies cannot boast of good water-repellent properties.
Smooth surface
How to distinguish an original from a fake Timberland by the quality of tailoring
Inspecting the seams is another important step in how to distinguish original Timberlands. You can unmistakably recognize a fake by any stitch defects, for example:
- uneven stitches;
- stitch distortions;
- unequal distance between parallel seams;
- remnants of threads;
- skipping a line;
- the use of threads of different colors, if this is not provided for by the design of the boots.
Inspection of seams
It is recommended to look for defects in hidden places. Fraudsters still try to make replicas look attractive. Therefore, it is easier to identify a finger by details that are not immediately noticeable.
Comparison of sewing quality
Where to buy Timberland in America
I decided not to risk it and look on American websites where you can buy Timberland boots much cheaper.
First of all, I went to my beloved eBay, which has helped me out when searching for goods many times already. Maybe you can save money now? We go to the website and enter the name of the brand we need. Almost 90 thousand results were found! I don’t need that much, so we narrow the search. I will indicate the desired color, size, price, condition. And even in this situation, there were a lot of positions.
As you can see, the price is more than affordable - almost two times cheaper than in Russian online stores. If not for one thing - some crazy delivery rates. By the way, this issue is easily resolved thanks to the intermediary LiteMF, which organizes transportation from the USA at an affordable cost. In addition, on the service’s YouTube channel you can learn about life hacks for profitable shopping on foreign sites.
Don’t want to delve into the intricacies of foreign shopping?
