Fake Timberland Boots? How to spot real, originals vs fake ones


Who wouldn’t love to have a sharp pair of Timberland boots? And it goes without saying, that getting them at bargain prices would be the icing on the cake. Still, if you are seeing prices that seem too good to be true, then they most likely are. The shoes you are looking at may be Timberland rip-offs instead of the real thing.

Here is everything you need to know in order to make sure you only pay for authentic Timberland shoes and boots. And the first step is to make sure you buy only from reputable retailers.

How to identify Fake Timberland Boots

Online Shopping

Image of the Timberland Women's Banfield Mid Lace Boot, Wheat Forty, 9.5 M US In order to increase your chances of finding genuine Timberlandsonline, it is probably best to stick with big name retailers that you recognize, such as Amazon or reputable major stores.

Of course, the exception here is eBay. There are certainly real Timberlands for sale on eBay, both new and used, but there are also a lot of fakes. In which case, the tips below will help you determine whether you have real Timberlands after you get them, or possibly even spot fakes before you buy them.

But even when you think you are on the actual Timberland website, you may actually be on a spoof site. If you followed a link online, for instance, you could have been misdirected without realizing it. Here are a few things to keep an eye out for, even when you believe you are on a legitimate site.

Domain Name

Make sure the domain name is spelled exactly as it should be. A lot of fake Timberland manufacturers will often use the word timberland, or some variation of it. Maybe they will just add an extra letter before, after or in the middle of the word, which could be very inconspicuous.

And not just on timberland, this is also done on amazon, Nordstrom or any other domain name. What makes it worse is that they copy the whole layout or design of the site so that it looks familiar enough not to tip you off.

Suspicious Content

Image of the Timberland Men's Richmont PT Oxford,Brown,10.5 M USFake Timberland websites often have questionable links, which should tip you off. If you see links to blogs, websites for other brands, auction sites or anything else that seems a little surprising, take heed. Those things will never appear on the real Timberland website.

Email addresses and other contact information may strike a false note. You should not see a Gmail or Yahoo address anywhere on the site. And, just like with suspicious emails, you should beware of a website that contains obvious grammatical errors and misspelled words.

Something else that should give you pause is an offer for bulk orders.  Real Timberland shoes and boots are only sold in bulk to authorized retailers.

Authorized retailers

If you are shopping in bricks and mortar stores, and you see anything that raises flags about the Timberlands you’re looking at, then the first thing you want to do is make sure you are at an authorized Timberland retailer.

It’s a very quick and easy step to take, particularly if you happen to have a mobile device with you. Simply go to the Timberland website and look for the “Store Locator” tool. You will then be able to see exactly which stores in your area offer true Timberland shoes and boots.

There may be a slim chance that a store which is not an authorized Timberland retailer will have the real product for sale, particularly if you are seeing limited quantities. In which case, it will still be a simple matter for you to check the following.

Fake Timberlands will almost always have a logo printed in much the same locations as the real ones, such as on the outside of the shoes at the heel or on the tongue. But you will probably be able to see some discrepancies, especially if you have a sample of the original ones to compare them to. Again, this is easy if you have a mobile device with you and can access the Timberland website.

Image of the Timberland Men's Carter Notch PT Chelsea Boot, Medium Brown Full Grain, 10 M USGenuine Timberland bootswill have a crisp portrayal of the logo stamped onto the shoe, whereas fakes will have noticeable discrepancies. For instance, the circle around the ® may be distorted, the entire logo may seem indistinct or far too light. Any difference at all will be a major indication that you are looking at a fake.

Not only will authentic Timberland boots have a crisp, flawless logo, both the brand name and the logo will be visible on the outsoles.

Online retailers who are selling fake Timberlands may very well be showing photos of real ones. However, if they happen to be showing photos of the actual shoes they are selling – as a one-off item on eBay, for instance – then a close look at the logo may give you fair warning.

Tag

Most shoe brands utilize barcode tags for identification purposes. Timberland, however, uses eyelet tags which never contain barcodes. In spite of this fact, fraudulent vendors both online and local retailers seem not to have caught on. Almost all fake Timberland shoes have eyelet tags with barcodes. One of the absolute easiest ways to tell if you are looking at real or fake Timberlands is simply to get a peek at the tag.

Box

If you have ordered online and have received your order, or a shoe store has boxed up your purchase for you, the box offers you another opportunity for verifying whether you have paid for actual Timberland boots or fake ones.

An environmentally responsible company, Timberland provides a box for its shoes that is made from recycled materials. The brand’s name and logo are clearly displayed on the outside of these sturdy brown boxes.

Additionally, detailed information about the shoes, such as style, color and size, are shown on a label affixed to the box. Not only should you make sure the box conforms to the Timberland norm and the label is there on the side, you should also confirm that the details on the label reflect the shoes that are in the box.

Style

Strangely enough, not only do many manufacturers of fake Timberland boots re-create the most popular models, a lot of them will also sell shoes and boots completely unlike anything Timberland has ever offered. Fortunately, this presents another incredibly easy way to verify whether you are looking at a real Timberland or a counterfeit one.

Timberland prints a style number on every shoe and boot, usually along the inner lining or under the tongue of the shoe. So all you have to do is go online to find out if the style number on a specific shoe matches what the style is supposed to be.

Weight

Timberland shoes and boots feel every bit as good as they look. That is because they are made from very high-quality materials, such as suede, leather and top-grade rubber. This means they definitely carry a bit of heft.

If you pick up a boot in a store that is supposed to be a Timberland, or one you have ordered online, and it feels kind of lightweight, this is a sign that the materials used were not of the best quality. In which case, the odds are they won’t be real Timberlands.

Quality

Image of the Timberland Women's Glancy 6 Inch Boot, Navy Nubuck, 9 M US Timberland is known for manufacturing shoes and boots of the highest quality. Even if a pair manages to pass all of the other tests, any sign whatsoever that the shoes are not absolutely flawless should be taken as a warning to inspect them more closely.

For instance, some counterfeit boots may have a strong chemical odor, and that is definitely a red flag. Any defects whatsoever in color, such as faded areas or spots, is another strong indication that you don’t have an authentic pair of Timberlands.

Even something as simple as stitching is worth inspecting. The stitching on original Timberland boots follows a specific pattern, you should see four evenly spaced rows. Additionally, the color of the thread should perfectly match the color of the shoe.

Many fake Timberlands will use thread that is either too dark, too light or are unevenly spaced. In fact, if you see so much as a dangling thread, you should be suspicious.

Demonstration Video

What should you do if you’ve bought fake Timberland boots?

Image of the Timberland Men's Brook Park Chukka Boot, Steeple Grey Hammer, 11 M USCounterfeit brands are illegal. If you’ve discovered that you’ve bought fake Timberland shoes or boots from a reputable retailer, you should be able to return them for a full refund. You may not have the same recourse from a fraudulent retailer, but if you’ve followed the tips listed here, then hopefully you have avoided that issue.

One thing you should definitely do, however, is report the retailer to Timberland. The company considers this an extremely important matter and investigates all leads that are reported by consumers. Send an email with all of the relevant details of your product and purchase to [email protected].

Timberland boots are fabulous looking, high-quality footwear, and are definitely worth the splurge. Just be sure that the pair you are paying for is the authentic brand.