Six ways to spot a legit / authentic vs a fake sloppy New Balance 327 ‘Moonbeam Driftwood’

With its colors made of neutrals and distinct earthy tones, it’s never too difficult to recognize real and fake versions of Shoenami’s best travel sneaker, the New Balance 327 ‘Driftwood’.  

While its comfortability and sleek look have taken the footwear industry by storm, knockoffs have become its greatest enemy.

With your hard-earned cash on the line, Shoenami listed 6 easy ways to tell them apart. 

LOGO 

There are several things to pinpoint when it comes to spotting inconsistencies in the ‘N’ logo, one is color; real is soft beige, muted brown, with subtle greenish accent while the fake is more light khaki. 

Next is the texture, real one has leather texture while the fake is smooth. 

The font usually also has slight differences. 

SOLE 

Among the quickest ways to spot is the sole, knockoffs usually can’t get the right color and tends to have lighter brown soles while the real one is dark orangey shade. 

BRANDING

The ‘new balance’ writing in the inner heel should be stitched and not printed and font should be consistent. 

TONGUE TAG

Like the logo, getting the right shade seems to be a struggle for knockoffs, the real shoe should have a more neutral beige tongue tag while the fake has a darker shade of beige.  

An unnecessary plastic tag is also often attached to a fake pair.

SUEDE UPPER SHADE

More than the feel that should be smooth and rich and not too cheap and stuff, the suede part of a fake NB327 Driftwood is likely to have a grayish tone rather than a beige tone. 

FORM

Lastly, since the pair is loved for its retro silhouette, the form should be chunky but not clunky, and stylish but not overdone.  

Holding a pair should feel streamlined and aligned perfectly. 

Fakes, on the other hand, are usually oddly shaped and look a bit off.