Are you sure that your Chanel ballerinas are authentic?

Perhaps the most important feature to inspect when trying to spot a fake Chanel shoe is the label. Chanel’s line of Cambon ballerinas only have one tag, and it should say “CHANEL.” If you see a pair of Cambon ballerinas labeled “CC”, it’s a fake. There should also be no superfluous labels such as “MADE IN ITALY” or “MADE IN FRANCE”. If the ballerinas are white, pink or tan, the label will be black. If the shoes are black, the label will be white. If you see a black mark drawn on a tag that meets all of the above criteria, the shoe is most likely the real thing. The black mark on the label is an authorized way of indicating that the shoes are pre-owned.

In addition to complying with the above characteristics, the labeling of footwear must be done with quality. If the label is crooked or, God forbid, misspelled, then most likely you are looking for a cheap imitation.

Once you’re done inspecting the tag, turn the shoe over. The heel (which is made of plastic) should be stamped with “Made in Italy” and with “Chanel.” Again, if the heel is stamped “CC” then the shoe is fake. Underneath the plastic sole should be the word “CHANEL” in large, bold letters. These letters must not be part of the plastic or printed on top of the plastic. It is printed under the plastic and takes up almost the entire sole of the shoe. The black and white ballerinas have a large “CHANEL” tag that is hot pink. The tan and pink ballerinas have a large “CHANEL” tag that is black. The special edition Chanel ballerinas (white with the python design or silver) have a large “CHANEL” tag that is orange.

The important part of the shoe to inspect is the inner label and the outer sole. If you have questions about the authenticity of a certain online seller, ask them to send you close-up photos of the sole of the shoe. Make sure the images are not just stock photos of real Chanel ballerinas. (Actually, it’s nice if the photos are a little unprofessional in this case, so you know the seller is photographing his own merchandise.)

Finally, no statement of authenticity is included with the real deal, so if the seller offers one, it’s a sign that the shoes may be fake.