Last week, a Nike pack hit the web, showing off three sneakers that were inspired by White Men Can’t Jump, Hoosiers, and Teenwolf (all are regular Nikes, not SBs as some sites reported). These movies were all classics in their time, and the shout outs are well deserved. All three shoes dropped on the 22nd, and are likely still at House of Hoops locations.

But are all of these films appropriate for Nike take-offs? On a recent ANIMAL post, we were tipped off to do a little film research.

Wesley Snipes did indeed wear Nikes. Probably a Flight Lite, even. Pass. The whole Hoosiers team wore Converse. Fail. Teen Wolf was sponsored by adidas (check the photo above) big Fail Fail Fail. Ooops.

Maybe Nike gets a pass on Hoosiers because they technically own Converse, and the film is a period piece, but Teenwolf? Come on guys, you’re slipping. Hit the jump for images of the sneaker in question, and punch yourself in the head if you’re considering buying this thing (not because of the rip, but more because you shouldn’t be wearing sneakers with fur on them).

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Posted under Spot the Ripoff

It’s rare we put a time-tested brand on blast, but there was no way we could grant Levis a pardon. Yesterday our friends at The Shoe Game beat us to the punch, by reporting on Levis ripping off Supra’s infamous Skytop silhouette. After the heads up, we hit our local Footaction in town to dig a little more. It appears that Supra isn’t the only footwear company getting straight jacked.

Vans (Authentic) and Converse (Chuck Taylor) also fell victim to the denim brand’s copy-and-paste tactics. They must have some balls huh? Well the process isn’t that simple. The way these rip-offs work, is that an outside company, (in this case GMI USA) approaches a proven brand like Levi’s and offers to produce footwear for them at cheaper cost it would take the established company to do it themselves. The company that’s actually doing the cutting and sewing is then allowed to stamp the product with the reputable brand’s name, making it more likely for the shoe to move units. Sounds like a flawless plan right? Not really.

As you can see sometimes the cheaper way doesn’t always work out, especially because the consumer who’s familiar with the Skytop, or the Vans Authentic, can’t be outsmarted. Levis doesn’t take a total L though, to those out-of-the-loop these Greco’s at a measley $65 are a great get (but in no way are we saying you should buy these). To see the whole collection of knock-offs and their “inspirations” hit the jump.
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Posted under Spot the Ripoff