Adidas identifier: name any pair, then legit check it

Adidas makes hundreds of models, but three details narrow almost any photo down to a family:

• The logo tells you the line. The Trefoil (three leaves) marks Originals, the heritage and lifestyle models. The Badge of Sport (three slanted bars), often called the Performance logo, marks most running and sport models. Yeezy 350 V2s skip both on the upper; most colorways have a side stripe instead.
• The Three Stripes tell you the build. Stitched suede or leather stripes on terrace models, serrated stripes on the Superstar, perforated rows of holes on the Stan Smith, and a stripe cage or print on knit runners.
• The sole tells you the model. A gum sole (Samba OG, Gazelle Indoor), a rubber shell toe (Superstar), a thick cupsole (Campus 00s, Forum) or Boost foam with a popcorn texture (Ultraboost, Yeezy 350).

Still stuck between two models? Our guide on how to identify sneakers from a picture covers reverse image search and other methods.

Most fake Adidas are not sold as replicas. They show up in social media ads, on lookalike “outlet” sites and in listings priced a little under retail. These checks catch most of them:

• Three Stripes: evenly spaced and parallel, with clean edges and stitching that hugs each stripe.
• Logo: the right one for the line, with even proportions and a clean lowercase wordmark.
• Article number: returns your exact colorway and matches the box label.
• Materials: suede with a soft, even nap, no plasticky leather, and no harsh glue smell.
• Model details: crisp gold lettering and a natural honey-brown gum on the Samba, a clean shell toe on the Superstar, irregular popcorn texture on Boost.

For the model-by-model detail on the Samba, Gazelle, Campus 00s, Superstar and Ultraboost, read how to tell if Adidas are fake. If you would rather not judge it alone, the expert legit check has two human authenticators review your photos and return a verdict in under 5 minutes.