[Minky Starshine]

I've been thinking about this thread for a while now,wondering whether to post it or not.I don't want people to get the wrong idea about me,being fairly new and haven't posted any pictures yet(thats only because I've only got 2 pairs of nba's and haven't bought any superstars solely as 'collectables')..anyway here goes...
Before I was married I used to share a house with an old school friend..His shopping cost about half of what mine used to..pointing to the custard creams(a nice biscuit but dosen't get anywhere near jammie dodgers)I asked him why he bought the supermarket own brand,instead of the 'brand name'.Heres the important part...he said that they are made by the same factory,just put in a different wrapper!.Now then,I guess you know where I'm going with this...I'm wondering if some of the fakes are made in the same factories as the genuine ones,afterall they would have the original designs etc ,i doubt if Adidas would care,having already sold out of the limited edition releases..however why then don't they make perfect fakes?
I've found a nice pair of missy elliotts on rare-adidas.com for £85 which I'm tempted(is this about the right price?),however if i didn't find this site and learn about the fakes i could have got a pair of ian Browns(£30)and some Adi dassler(£37.99) on ebay for similar money,all of course fake.Just wondering what the RRP of the 35th anniversary was when they were first released(and were they available on the highstreet ie footlocker etc)..sorry its abit long winded,i seemed to have put everything in one post...

[olstar]

Nice post..

I prefer all tesco brand stuff, its the same and much cheaper most of the time

Anyway, i was talking to a mate of mine, and he used to be the managing director for helly hanson UK..

I was talking to him about fakes superstars, and some other bits and bobs - and he mentioned something called the GREY market.. not the BLACK market..

He gave me an example.

Lets for instance say adidas want a run of 4000 special edition superstars.. well the factory might only do runs of 8000 (for example)

So they sell 4000 to adidas - and keep hush hush about the other 4000.

They then find a buyer somewhere in the world to buy these sneakers, in a country where they cant get in trouble for it.

The shoes are shipped there but not with the same care that adidas would ship them (therefore packaging may be damaged) and probably in slightly different packaging as adidas may of only had 4000 adidas bags for the laces made up, so they just use any old bag etc.

Anyway, the kicks arrive in some random country, and as far as the factory knows they are sold, done deal, forgotten about.

But what they dont know, is that that country then sell them on to someone in the UK, completely legally, and then that person ships them out to people who then resell them on eBay and on market stores.

So what you have, is incorrectly packaged up "Fakes" that are not fakes at all.

Also, these factories that adidas use are probably not owned by adidas, and therefore probably keep the designs for themselves, release kicks based on adidas's designs but using inferior materials, and what you get then is slightly less convincing fakes..

OR they take a shoe, rip it to bits and try and duplicate it..

Thats when you get the really SHITE fakes..

So i think there is a lot more depth to it, and to be honest i think its something that someone like watchdog may be interested in as i think its one big worldwide fuckup on behalf of the factories that make the shoes for adidas, and adidas themselves!

[streak]

whoa... There was me thinking this would be a nice little thread about your favourite biscuits.. (malted milk for me BTW)

[olstar]

this week, i have mostly been eating chocolate digestive bar things

[Funke]

woah, thats interesting...
i always thought that adidas etc had their own factories...

good read, thanks for the post

you think adidas is aware..?

edit: awww man... i dont have a favourite biscuits as too many are good
well i'd say anzac biscuits are good, scotch fingers, tim tams. you know, the unhealthy ones XD ones that have chocolate. etc..

[flyingcod]

woah, thats interesting...
i always thought that adidas etc had their own factories...

good read, thanks for the post

you think adidas is aware..?

Whilst driving to Manchester Europarts (trafford park area) for stuff for the Golf, I passed a really massive empty factory with huge 'adidas' letters one it. I got exicted but then saw it also said adidas group - reebok/rockport on it as well. New Dassler offices perhaps??

Yes, I can dream that I'll be able to pickup some shells there.


fc

[olstar]

i really dont know..

i would imagine saving money is high on all companies like thats priority list.. and outsourcing production to china is a good way to save money

[Sweet_Kicks]

Olstars right on the money regarding the grey market! Factories will purposely over produce and sell on to 3rd parties. Happens to all the brands and they know all about it, unfortunately catching them doing it is the problem.

Another factor on the grey market is when a subsidiary orders to many units, then find that they cant sell them all, they sell the excess at discount to a 3rd party who then sell them on.

adidas don't own any of the factories we use, they get sourced and we get contracts with them, some exclusively, and some will produce other brands too.

The big building down at trafford park is the new uk distribution centre for the group (all 3 brands), effectively a warehouse where all the stock is shipped into, then held and shipped out to customers.

[pokey27]

So thats where all my soops of the future are being held!!! wonder if they'd mind if i popped over and erm collected em early

p.s anyone know a good getaway driver??haha

[AdiMac]

Chocolate Hobnobs for me (like Peter Kay said "The marine of the dunking world")

I worked in a Bread factory for a bit when I was a kid and all the bread was the same just packed into different bags for different markets.

I also did some time in a Orange Juice factory and that was the same, if I told you some of the things they used to do to the juice you'd never touch a drop again!!!!

Lastly does anybody want to know what MacDonalds "thick" shakes are made out of????

As for the Soups I don't doubt that there are loads of iffy 3rd party deals being done and who gets shafted.... us the customer of course. Sky high prices and a huge fake market place are just a couple of things we have to put with while adidas seems happy to pick up the cash from both sides and turn a blind eye to all this shit

[spitey]

pokey, im a uk 10 and i will drive. my fav. biscuit `digestive` a great dunker. but a few years ago waitrose made a wholemeal shortbread finger. fantastik. sadly no more. `bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!`

[King of the Farm]

I actually have some insider information on this topic...

As many of you know, I work as a Corporate National Account Rep for FedEx here in the US.

I used to have a customer that was an online retailer for Sneakers and trainers. They specialized in Nike's but sold many other brands as well. Much like pickyourshoes, FlightClub, SportieLA & others they really prided themselves on the authenticity of their items.

In my many conversations with them about the fakes in the market, the CEO took me out in the warehouse and handed me two pairs of AF1's. He told me to pick the fake. Of course I couldn't tell. The only way he knew was the barcode on the box. These particular pairs were identical.

He let me know that Nike, just like ALL major shoe companies have contracts with various and rotating manufacturers in Asia. The shoe companies don't own the manufacturers and plants. They're all 3rd party contractors. He said that the most common issue is that these companies keep running the production lines AFTER they've fulfilled their order and obligation. They can then send the finished goods out on the open market and make additional money.

Now this is a much bigger problem with Nike than any other company. We all know that they are the major player in the sneakerhead circles.

But to answer the question that was posed...

YES, It happens all the time

Quick sidenote, He also let me know that Nike and other companies actually contract several retailers like himself to purchase shoes from various retailers in an effort to determine who is selling fakes and try and shut them down. He said he purchases about a dozen pairs per day just for this purpose. That's good to hear.

[spitey]

good info kotf. what about the biscuits???????

[adidasanth]

Pimp the mutha!!!! giant jammie dodger!!!!!

[flyingcod]

That would be great if I liked Jammy Dodgers. Its all about Anzacs for me. And making a donation to the British Legion at the same time.

fc