November 19, 2006: Counterfeit sneaks destroyed
 

http://cellar.org/2006/trainerssmush.jpg

The WaPo (found by you-know-who) picks up the European terminology for its official cap: A wheel loader moves shredded counterfeit trainers curing an operation by the customs authority in Hamburg, Germany.

IotD often has these kinds of shots, of counterfeit material being destroyed. Usually it's CDs and DVDs in smaller Asian nations, but somehow somebody has figured out how to make a counterfeit buck on Nikes. I'm amazed at the volume, but since Nikes are already manufactured at low cost Asian labor mills, you'd need volume to make money on fake ones, even considering the high profit margins built into $100 and up "trainers".

It just goes to show the power of a strong brand, I guess.

Prolly made by night shift at Nikes plants. :bolt:

Oh! The Humanity!

Won't Someone think of the Children?!

Recycle anyone?

Good point..

Why can't they just give these things over to some third world country somewhere that doesn't have money for this kind of thing?? :eyebrow:

Because some scammer in a third world country would snatch them all and resell them as authentic on the black market, that's why. Think Nigerian Scam.

Do they really have to SHRED them though? You'd figure they could deface them somehow and then donate to someone who needs shoes.

They might fall into the hands of terrorists allowing them to run away too fast. ;)

Speaking of Nigerians and terrorists . . .

One of hubby's coworkers pissed off a Nigerian and now the Nigerian mafia (is there such a thing?) has been making threatening phone calls to anyone even remotely associated.

They made a big boo boo and talked to the main receptionist in the big famous building in which hubby plies his trade, who called in the police, who called in the FBI, who will probably call in Homeland Security.

Tsk tsk. One faction in Nigeria is about to be put out of business!

I know, nothing to do with the image, a little word association side-track.

Man, such a goddamn waste...

ohh I thought they were destroying counterfeit snakes :worried:

Glad I wasn't the only one who read that wrong at first glance. :)

But yeah, seriously, why not donate them to people in need? Wouldn't that just more branding for Nike? Who cares if they're real or not? Imitation is the greatest form of flattery?

RECYCLING: yes they do!
the material will be used for building tracks for athletics.

so it will not be what people run in but what some school-kids run on.

:)

Cool!

The French are very tough on fakes too. British tourists sometimes run into problems after going to Italian markets just over the border. On the way home the cars/ coaches may be searched for counterfeits - not smuggling, individual items.

A lady I know had her handbag confiscated, despite it being a fake she bought in Turkey some two years previously.

I need some of those shoes!

Around here (Albuquerque) they use what amounts to ground up tennis shoe soles as the ...um... underlayer for those faux lawn things like RealTurff and such. Supposedly works well as a drainfield. Or something.

I didn't realize the sneak was popular enough to warrant counterfeits.

Cool. Can I get a recycle bin for that?

Indeed. And at DaughterofV's school, the track in the student gym is made of this made of this material, too. whe describing the track, our tour guide explained that the direction of traffic was reversed each day, to even out the wear. Clockwise, counterclockwise, clockwise, rinse repeat.

wipe on, wipe off

I heard that. In fact, I heard they give them a stern look before offering to surrender. Very tough indeed.

First off, you will never see "counterfeit" sneakers donated to anyone. Why? Because those that they are counterfeiting aren't making a profit, tax write-off or any other "incentive" for them to want to donate them. Additionally, if they are donated, then that will drive down their $150/pair prices (heaven forbid). :rolleyes:

Furthermore, this also show how materialistic we are. Here we have a shoe that is probably no different than the "real" thing, yet they are being destroyed because they weren't made by some 8 year old kid in a Nike factory, but were made by an 8 year old kid in some other factory. With all those shoes, they could probably put several pairs on every kid that works in their factories.

I think you're right.
Welcome to the Cellar, elderban. :D