Legit check app
Sneaker authenticator: AI legit check plus two human experts
Sneaker AI is a sneaker authenticator on your iPhone. Run an instant AI scan that flags common replica tells, or send your photos to two human authenticators and get a verdict in under 5 minutes.
If the pair passes the Expert Legit Check, you get a digital Certificate of Authenticity with a shareable link, so buyers on eBay or Facebook Marketplace can see the result for themselves.
Free download · iPhone- Instant AI scan
- 2-expert legit check
- Shareable certificate
4 steps
How to authenticate sneakers with Sneaker AI
Photos in, verdict out. Here is the whole process.
- 01
Take the photos
Shoot the pair from every angle on the photo checklist: sides, toe, heel, tags, insole, outsole and box. - 02
Run the AI scan
Get an instant read that flags common replica tells. Good for a quick check while you look at a listing. - 03
Send it to two experts
The Expert Legit Check puts your photos in front of two human authenticators. Verdict in under 5 minutes. - 04
Share the certificate
If the pair passes, you get a digital Certificate of Authenticity with a link to send a buyer or add to a listing.
Two levels
AI scan vs. Expert Legit Check
A shoe authenticator can be software, a person, or both. Sneaker AI gives you both, and each fits a different moment.
| Compared on | AI scan | Expert Legit Check |
|---|---|---|
| Who checks | AI | Two human authenticators |
| Speed | Instant | Under 5 minutes |
| What it does | Flags common replica tells in your photos | Reviews your photos and gives a verdict |
| What you get | A quick read on the pair | A verdict, plus a digital Certificate of Authenticity if the pair passes |
| Best for | Screening listings before you message a seller | Pairs you are about to pay for, pairs you are selling, high-value pairs |
Use the AI scan to rule pairs out fast. Use the Expert Legit Check before money changes hands. For a deeper look at how the two approaches differ, read AI vs. human legit checks.
Photo checklist
Photos to take for a legit check
A photo-based sneaker authenticator can only judge what it can see. These are the shots authenticators rely on. Take them in daylight, in focus, with the whole area in frame.
| Photo | What to capture | What it helps check |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Outer side | Full side profile, whole sole in frame | Shape, panel cuts, logo placement and proportions |
| 2. Inner side | The other side, same framing | Stitching, panel alignment, small logos |
| 3. Toe box | Straight on and from slightly above | Toe shape and height, perforations, stitching |
| 4. Heel | Straight on from behind | Heel shape, heel tab, embroidery or branding |
| 5. Size tag | Close-up, sharp enough to read every line | Font, spacing, style code and dates |
| 6. Insole and stitching | Insole print; if it lifts out, the stitching under it | Print quality, glue and stitch pattern |
| 7. Outsole | Flat, the whole sole in frame | Tread pattern, logos and molding |
| 8. Box label | The label on the end of the box, close up | Font, and whether the code, size and colorway match the shoe |
Buying remotely? Ask the seller for these exact shots, with a handwritten note showing their username and the date. A seller who won’t send them is telling you something. More on that in how to buy sneakers safely on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Verdicts
What a verdict means, and what to do next
A legit check ends in one of three places. Here is what each one means for you.
Authentic
The pair passed. After an Expert Legit Check you also get a digital Certificate of Authenticity. Buying: pay with a method that has buyer protection and keep the certificate with your records. Selling: add the certificate link to your listing or send it to the buyer.
Not authentic
The check found signs the pair is not genuine. Buying: don’t pay. If you already have, open a claim with the marketplace or your payment provider, and save the photos and the result. Selling: don’t list the pair as authentic; go back to wherever you bought it.
Not enough to go on
Sometimes the photos don’t show enough to make a call: the tag is blurry, the insole is missing, or the box label is cropped. That is not a pass. Retake the missing angles, or ask the seller for clearer ones, and check again. The same goes for an AI scan that flags something: send the pair to the experts before you decide.
Choose your check
When to use AI, experts or in-hand authentication
Photo-based checks and in-hand marketplace authentication solve different problems. Pick the one that fits the deal:
| Situation | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing listings, deciding which seller to message | AI scan | Instant; rules out pairs with obvious replica tells |
| Buying from a person on eBay, Facebook Marketplace or social media | Expert Legit Check on the seller’s photos | Two experts review the pair before you pay |
| Selling a pair and want buyers to trust it | Expert Legit Check | The certificate link answers “is it real?” up front |
| Buying through a marketplace that inspects pairs | The marketplace’s in-hand authentication | Someone handles the actual shoe before it ships to you |
| A high-value pair where results disagree | Expert Legit Check, then in-hand if you can | More opinions, more angles, fewer surprises |
For the full system, from packaging to stitching, see the complete guide to sneaker authentication.
Honest limits
What no sneaker authenticator can promise
Any authenticator working from photos, human or AI, is only as good as the photos. Keep these limits in mind:
- Photo quality drives the result. Blur, filters and missing angles hide the details that matter. If anything is unclear, ask the seller for more photos.
- The verdict covers the pair in the photos. A seller could photograph one pair and ship another. Ask for photos with a dated note, and pay with buyer protection.
- Replicas keep improving. A tell that works on most fakes today may not hold on the next round, so good checks look at many details, not one.
- No method is perfect. Not AI, not experts, not in-hand inspection. Layering checks is how you get close.
Want to learn the tells yourself? These guides walk through them model by model:
- Jordan 1 legit check: fake vs. real
- How to tell if Jordan 4s are fake
- How to spot fake Nike Dunks
- How to tell if Air Force 1s are fake
- How to tell if Adidas are fake
- How to tell if Yeezy 350s are fake
- How to tell if New Balance 550s are fake
Checking one brand? Start with the Jordan authenticator or the Nike shoe identifier.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a sneaker authenticator?
A sneaker authenticator checks whether a pair is genuine. It can be a person, software or both. Sneaker AI offers an instant AI scan that flags common replica tells, and an Expert Legit Check in which two human authenticators review your photos.
How long does a legit check take?
The AI scan is instant. The Expert Legit Check returns a verdict from two human authenticators in under 5 minutes.
What is a Certificate of Authenticity?
When a pair passes Sneaker AI's Expert Legit Check, you get a digital Certificate of Authenticity with a shareable link. Sellers add the link to listings on eBay or Facebook Marketplace or send it to a buyer, so the buyer can see the result for themselves.
Is a shoe authenticator app accurate?
It depends on the photos and the pair. Clear, complete photos of a common model give the most reliable result; blurry or missing angles make any check harder, human or AI. No method is perfect, which is why the Expert Legit Check uses two authenticators and why paying with buyer protection still matters.
Should I use the AI scan or the Expert Legit Check?
Use the AI scan to screen listings quickly. Use the Expert Legit Check before you pay for a pair, when you sell one, or whenever the AI scan flags something. The Certificate of Authenticity comes from the expert check.
Can I authenticate sneakers before I buy them online?
Yes. Ask the seller for the photos on the checklist: both sides, toe box, heel, size tag, insole, outsole and box label, ideally with a note showing their username and the date. Run those photos through Sneaker AI before you pay.
What is a sneaker check?
A sneaker check, or legit check, is a review of a pair's shape, materials, stitching, tags and box to decide whether it is genuine. You can do one yourself with a model-specific guide, or have an app and human authenticators do it for you.
Keep going
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OpenIdentifyShoe identifier
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OpenFree download · iOS
Know it’s real before you pay.
Download Sneaker AI for an instant AI scan, or two expert authenticators and a shareable certificate in under 5 minutes.